A FORMER Forest Green Rovers player has denied murdering an off-duty police constable in Liverpool.

Andrew Taylor, 28, is jointly charged with Christopher Spendlove, 30, of murdering Merseyside PC Neil Doyle,36, in Liverpool city centre in the city centre in the early hours of December 19 last year during a night out with colleagues.

Appearing at Liverpool Crown Court, Christopher Spendlove of Brandearth Hey, Stockbridge Village, and Andrew Taylor of Cherry Tree Road, Huyton, both pleaded not guilty to murder.

Pc Doyle got married last July and was due to go on his honeymoon in January.

He and two other off-duty officers, Michael Steventon and Robert Marshall, were attacked in Colquitt Street at around 3.15am.

His colleagues were treated in hospital for facial injuries.

Both defendants also deny that they caused grievous bodily harm with intent to those two officers.

They will go on trial at Liverpool Crown Court on June 22.

A third man, Timmy Donovan, 30, originally from Huyton, was arrested in Germany two months ago in connection with the murder.

The court heard that extradition proceedings have begun against Donovan and he is expected to be brought to the UK within the next 10 days.

Spendlove and Taylor, said to be close friends, played football together while studying at Oklahoma City University in the United States.

They were team-mates at US soccer league outfit Austin Aztex who were managed at the time by former Everton star Adrian Heath.

Taylor returned to the UK to sign for Forest Green in 2009 before later moves to Burscough FC and Vauxhall Motors.

Spendlove stayed in the US and went on to play for Portland Phoenix, Wilmington Hammerheads and Oklahoma City Energy FC.