• Premier League

Simpson 'okay' after late-night brawl

Danny Simpson's agent says he will be back in training as normal © PA Photos

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Newcastle United defender Danny Simpson was pictured lying bloodied and unconscious in a street, reportedly after a late-night brawl, in Manchester city centre on Saturday night.

Photographs and a video published by the Sun showed the right-back on the floor after the reported altercation, which isa said to have begun outside a takeaway at 4am.

According to the newspaper, Simpson became involved in a scuffle with another man whilst queuing for food after leaving Circle Club.

After getting into a taxi, Simpson was reportedly hauled out of it by another man and punched to the ground, where he remained bleeding and unconscious for 15 minutes before an ambulance arrived.

"He was definitely drunk," the paper reports an eyewitness as saying. "Then him and this guy started getting aggressive with each other.

"They started scuffling. The man was pushing and shoving Danny and he just lost it. He punched him and he dropped to the ground.

"Someone pulled him off the man. Everyone in the takeaway was saying, 'Danny, you can't do that - you've got to leave'.

"Danny got in a taxi outside but the two bouncers rushed over and opened the door.

"There was a girl there trying to calm the situation and telling the taxi to take Danny home -- but one of the bouncers dragged him out then punched him in the face.

"He dropped to the floor and was half on the pavement, half on the road with blood pouring from his mouth.

"He was in a bad way. It looked like he'd been knocked out. Everyone crowded round him. He was still breathing but not responsive.

"Luckily he'd landed in the recovery position so we didn't move him."

Former Manchester United trainee Simpson is currently ruled out through injury and was not part of the Newcastle squad which beat Chelsea 3-2 at home earlier on Saturday.

Simpson's spokesman said: "Danny's fine and will be back training tomorrow," while the player appeared to back up the story on Twitter.

Taking to the soclal network, Simpson wrote: "For the record I'm okay, two on one well done!"

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