Dwight Yorke feared Kessie was armed

The Birmingham City striker was giving evidence on Tuesday in the trial of two men accused of robbing him in a London nightclub on 30 June last year.

Godfrey Kessie, 25, from north London, admitted robbery at an earlier hearing.

Students Maiur Hirani, 25, of Kenton, and Abbas Rizvi, 24, of Edgware, both in north London, deny robbery.

Mr Yorke said although he thought Mr Kessie was armed, when the three men fled with his �36,000 watch instinct took over and he ran after them.

Maiur Jirani (l) and Rizvi Abbas deny the charges

"I was shouting, 'somebody has stolen my watch, somebody has stolen my watch'," he told the court.

Within minutes he cornered 25-year-old Kessie, the head of Lifeline Security, at a Tube station.

Shortly afterwards bouncers from the Funky Buddha club and photographers arrived and Kessie handed back the Franck Muller Conquistador King timepiece.

Mr Yorke said he noticed Mr Kessie standing behind him in the toilets and, shortly after he asked the footballer for his watch.

"I sort of smiled at him and said 'you're not going to get it'."

He said Mr Kessie repeated the comment and then went to his jacket pocket which made him think he had a weapon on him.

Necklace demanded

He told the jury he noticed Mr Rizvi, who urged him to hand over the watch, standing behind Mr Kessie and Mr Hirani manning the toilet door.

He said he handed over the watch but then Mr Kessie demanded his necklace.

The court heard he was then shoved against a wall and then into a cubicle by Mr Kessie, he told the court,.

Under cross examination from Mr Rizvi's barrister, Nick Wells, Mr Yorke denied suggestions that his client was an innocent bystander.

During further questioning the footballer was asked why he could not remember what the various people with him in the lavatory were wearing.

He replied: "I was more concerned about my life because this man was threatening me... I couldn't believe it was happening."

The trial continues.