Updated at 13.57
EX-MANCHESTER UNITED and Northern Ireland international Keith Gillespie has appeared in court after a warrant was issued for his arrest, due to the former Northern Ireland and Manchester United footballer initially failing to turn up for his scheduled appearance.
The 39-year-old, who also had spells at a number of other clubs over the course of his career, including Newcastle, Blackburn and Longford Town, had been accused of breaching a non-molestation order.
Gillespie’s failure to show up at Newtownards Magistrates Court prompted District Judge Mark Hamill to issue the warrant for his arrest.
The Antrim native was regarded as a talented winger on his day, breaking into the Manchester United first-team as a teenager and subsequently delivering a series of eye-catching performances that caused critics to draw comparisons with George Best, among other prodigious stars.
Nevertheless, his on-field talents were invariably offset by problems away from the game.
Gillespie developed a gambling addiction during his time as a footballer and was eventually declared bankrupt in 2010.
He subsequently released an autobiography, How Not to be a Football Millionaire — an honest depiction of his struggles to cope with the pressures of fame — which was published last year amid critical acclaim.
During an interview with TheScore.ie back in November, Gillespie spoke of having undergone therapy to address his problems and claimed to be a happier person as a result, adding:
“It was very therapeutic writing the book, because everything’s out there and I wanted the credibility of everything being out there — people reading it and knowing there’s nothing missing.”
More to follow