A talented footballer smashed a glass in the face of a former school friend after an argument in a Worcester bar.

The Evesham United footballer Wesley Joyce, who had drunk nine pints of strong lager, was picked out by the victim Wayne Southall on a police identification parade.

The glass shattered on impact in RSVP, causing Mr Southall cuts under his right eye and on his forehead, said Scott Coughtrie, prosecuting.

Joyce pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Jailing him for three years and nine months, Judge Michael Mott said the injuries on the victim were still visible in photographs taken three months after the attack on November 29, 2003.

The judge said 23-year-old Joyce, of Canterbury Road, Worcester, had first lied about the offence to police before admitting "a very grave matter".

The incident began after Joyce, who also knew the victim through sport, had a verbal altercation with one of Mr Southall's friends in the bar, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Mr Southall intervened and told the defendant to pick on someone his own size, said Mr Coughtrie.

The defendant walked off, but as Mr Southall chatted to friends, he returned and used the glass.

Joyce had a previous conviction for failing to surrender to bail over another offence which was not proceeded with.

Victoria Clifford, defending, said: "He is genuinely remorseful and, if given the opportunity, would like to apologise to the complainant. This has caused great shame to him and his family."

The out-of-character offence was alcohol-fuelled, she said, but he had now quit drink and stayed out of the city centre at night.

Miss Clifford said Joyce was a talented footballer and handed in a scrapbook to the judge showing his soccer achievements.

She said Joyce had a five-year-old son, his girlfriend was pregnant and his risk of re-offending was low.

l Joyce was suspended from playing football before Christmas while playing for Evesham United for allegedly threatening to kill a referee. When he comes out of prison he will need to face a disciplinary hearing before he can play again. Spokesman for the Football Association disciplinary board, Gary Simmonds said: "He was charged with threatening to kill a referee in a game on November 13.

"We take a very serious view of these incidents and he has been banned until he appears before us to answer the charges. It was one of the worst things I have seen on a player's records."

The Journal approached the chairman of the club Jim Cockerton and the club secretary Mike Peplow but both declined to comment.