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A Manchester City footballer has admitted kicking a man three times after he punched him to the floor.

Striker Kelvin Etuhu, 22, pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray.

The court heard he attacked his victim in the street following a dispute in a Manchester casino cocktail bar on 28 February last year.

Etuhu was cleared of causing grievous bodily harm to another man.

CCTV footage of the city centre brawl was played in court which also showed an incident outside the Manchester 235 Casino when Etuhu's girlfriend was knocked to the floor as he became involved in a separate fight.

The pleas were agreed by the Crown Prosecution Service ahead of a scheduled trial.

The Nigerian-born player, who is the younger brother of Fulham player Dickson Etuhu, is a graduate of the Manchester City academy.

He made his first senior City appearance in September 2007 before being loaned out to Leicester City towards the end of that season.

He has also been on loan at Cardiff City and Rochdale.

Etuhu, of Astley, Wigan, who has no previous convictions, will be sentenced at Warrington Crown Court on 21 March.

He was granted unconditional bail as he was told all sentencing options remained open.

Co-defendant Leonard Rico Richards, 27, from Longsight, who was with Etuhu on the night, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and stealing a watch. He will be sentenced on the same date.