Manchester United captain Harry Maguire was on Tuesday given a 21 month and 10 day suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of assaulting a police officer, bribery and other charges by a court in Greece. The England international, who announced he would appeal the verdict, was arrested late last Thursday after a fight at a nightclub in Mykonos. He was charged with assault, bodily harm, verbal abuse and attempted bribery, all of which he denied. Maguire, who did not attend his trial on the Greek island of Syros, in a statement declared: "Following the hearing today, I have instructed my legal team with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing. "I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter - if anything myself, family and friends are the victims."

Manchester United backed their player. "Harry Maguire pleaded not guilty to all of the misdemeanour charges made against him and he continues to strongly assert his innocence," the club said. The statement from Old Trafford went on to spell out grounds for an appeal. "It should be noted that the prosecution confirmed the charges and provided their evidence late on the day before the trial, giving the defence team minimal time to digest them and prepare. "A request for the case to be adjourned was subsequently denied. On this basis, along with the substantial body of evidence refuting the charges, Harry Maguire's legal team will now appeal the verdict, to allow a full and fair hearing at a later date." The sentence is suspended for three years.