Graham Sankey and two others could be banned from matches

Merseyside Police applied to Liverpool magistrates on Thursday for a football banning order on Graham Sankey, 20.

Mr Sankey, from Liverpool, confessed to throwing a brick at a man last May in the Black Sea resort of Varna.

But Michael Shields, who protests his innocence, was jailed for the attempted murder of Martin Georgiev.

World Cup

The hearing for Mr Sankey and two other 19 year-old men also from Liverpool, Bradley Thompson and Anthony Wilson, was adjourned until 22 May.

The trio, who were all in Bulgaria at the time of the incident, could be banned from travelling to any football match home or abroad - including the World Cup.

Speaking outside court, Mr Sankey's solicitor David Kirwan said: "The Sankey family and myself are at a loss to understand why Merseyside Police have chosen to bring these proceedings against my client.

"Graham Sankey has never been involved in a football related incident in this country and the police application concerns an incident on foreign soil for which he has never been tried, let alone convicted."

'Separate incidents'

Mr Kirwan refused to say whether his client was withdrawing his confession made in relation to Shields' case.

He added: "There are serious discrepancies between the evidence in the Bulgarian court in the Michael Shields' case and the statement made by my client on July 28 last year.

"It is our belief that we may be talking about two entirely separate incidents."

Michael Shields, 19, from Liverpool, was on holiday in Varna following Liverpool FC's European Champions League victory in Istanbul.

Shields claims he was in bed when a paving slab was dropped on Mr Georgiev's head last May.

Shields was convicted in Bulgaria and jailed for 15 years.

Graham Sankey, 20, admitted the attack but his confession was not accepted by Bulgarian courts.