As one of England’s most talented footballers Steven Gerrard lives his life in the full glare of the media spotlight. Only yesterday the Liverpool captain was lauded for his performance during his side’s 5-1 thrashing of Newcastle United at St James’ Park. He expected to see in the new year on a high as he backed the Premier League leaders to clinch their first title since 1990.

But his arrest after an alleged brawl at a Southport nightspot has brought the father-of-two back down to earth and it is not the first time 28-year-old Gerrard has been involved with Merseyside Police.

In April, a court heard Gerrard's father reveal how he turned to an underworld fixer to stop a gangster from terrorising Gerrard and threatening to shoot him in the legs. Paul Gerrard said Liverpool provided extra security and he also contacted police during a two-year reign of terror. He said his son’s luxury car was smashed up and he was chased home from training as criminals attempted to extort large sums of money from the footballer.

Twelve months ago Alex Curran, the player’s wife, was held captive by masked men during a robbery at their home in Formby, Merseyside. Four men wearing balaclavas raided the property and stole jewellery as the couple’s two young daughters Lilly-Ella and Lexie slept upstairs. Gerrard was told the news as he left the pitch after leading his team to victory against Marseilles in the Champion’s League.

Ms Curran, a model and fashion columnist, was herself questioned by police following a fight at the Shangri-La restaurant in Liverpool in August 2006, but no charges were brought.

On the pitch, Gerrard’s natural talent saw him join Liverpool’s youth set-up as a schoolboy. By the time he was 19, he had become the club’s first-choice central midfielder and when he was just 20, Kevin Keegan picked him for England’s Euro 2000 squad. But it proved to be one of the toughest periods of his professional life as he played for only 29 minutes during the whole tournament.

Sven-Goran Eriksson’s arrival as manager, however, appeared to be the making of Gerrard as an international. He scored in the famous 5-1 defeat of Germany in Munich but missed the subsequent 2002 World Cup because of injury.

Euro 2004 was a brighter time for him, though he was dogged by uncertainty over his future and whether to move to Chelsea before being persuaded by friends and family to stay in Liverpool.

In 2006 he was named the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year and signed a new four-year contract at Anfield the next year.

Gerrard has been capped by England 70 times and captained his country on four occasions. He scored his 100th goal for Liverpool against PSV Eindhoven in October.