Stevie G is Stevie free!

LONDON – Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was cleared on Friday of attacking a businessman in a fight over music being played in a bar.

The 29-year-old England midfielder was found not guilty of affray by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court over his role in the incident in December, the Press Association reported.’The verdict is a credible verdict on the full facts of this case,’ judge Henry Globe told Gerrard. ‘You walk away from this court with your reputation intact.’’I’m really looking forward to the season and concentrating on the football now,’ Gerrard told reporters outside the court.During his trial, Gerrard admitted striking Marcus McGee (34), who lost a front tooth crown in the bar brawl, but said he had been acting out of self-defence.Gerrard told the jury he estimated he had been seven out of 10 on a drunkenness scale but had not lost control.He said he had been given permission by the bar manager to help choose music but McGee had snatched a music card from him.A fight then erupted after Gerrard approached McGee to find out why he had been so aggressive.’I firmly believed Marcus came towards me to hit me,’ Gerrard said.Gerrard was the only one of seven defendants to be cleared over the incident, which was described as an ‘explosion of violence’ by the judge.The Liverpool player’s six co-defendants pleaded guilty to being involved in the brawl. – Nampa-Reuters