Ex-Town player due in court

FORMER Ipswich Town starlet and England youth international Darryl Knights is to appear in court next week charged with actual bodily harm.

A hearing for the 20-year-old's case is scheduled to be heard by a judge at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday, February 20.

Knights, who now plays for Kidderminster Harriers in the Blue Square Premier division, is expected to enter a plea at the hearing. Discussions are also likely to take place about a trial date.

The case is believed to involve an alleged assault which occurred late at night on May 24 last year.

The alleged incident is said to have happened in Cobbold Street on the outskirts of Ipswich town centre.

Knights - who grew up in Ipswich, but now lives in Round Hill Wharf, Kidderminster - is currently on bail until next week's hearing.

Kidderminster have vowed to support Knights while legal proceedings take their course. The club's manager Mark Yates said: “We are going to stand by Darryl through this.”

Knights' case was committed to the crown court by Ipswich magistrates on January 21.

The former Holywells High School pupil joined Town's academy from school and progressed to the reserves.

A striker of great promise, he made his only appearance for the club aged 16 when coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat at Sunderland in November 2004.

Prior to becoming a youth international, Knights also represented England at Under-17 level, notably in the Under-17 European Championship qualifiers in 2005.

He signed professional forms in May 2005 and went on to star in Ipswich's successful FA Youth Cup campaign the same year.

Knights moved to Yeovil on loan in February 2007, before transferring permanently later that year.

He also played for Cambridge United on loan from October to December 2007, prior to making another loan move to Kidderminster in January last year.

Knights signed a two-year contract with the Worcestershire club last summer. He has made 23 appearances for Kidderminster, including 16 as substitute.