The Hull KR centre Sean Gleeson may lose an eye after he was attacked outside a nightclub.
The 26-year-old was punched in the face a number of times following a row with three men in Wigan, Greater Manchester, in the early hours of Sunday. He suffered serious injuries to his eye and eye socket and was taken to hospital, where he remains.
Gleeson became involved in a fight with one of the men outside Ibiza Bar in King Street and the others joined in before they left the Rovers player in the road and ran away. Police have released CCTV images of three men they would like to speak to in connection with the assault, which took place at about 4am.
Wigan-born Gleeson signed for Rovers last year but has yet to play this season following a string of injury problems. He previously played for Salford, Wakefield, Widnes and Wigan, and has represented Ireland at international level.
Detective Chief Inspector Howard Millington, from Greater Manchester police, said: “We are now in a position to release images of three people we are very keen to speak to. If you recognise these men I would urge you to get in contact. A young man has been left with serious, potentially life-changing, injuries as he could lose his eye. Imagine if this was your son, brother, cousin, or close friend who was ill in hospital, you would want answers.
“In addition, if anyone was there that night and saw the assault, or if you know something that might be relevant to our investigation, I would urge them to get in contact with police.
“You might not have seen the actual attack but you may have seen a group of white men running away. I would urge anyone who thinks they may know who is responsible to come forward and speak to us.
“We all have a responsibility to ensure that a night out is a good experience and does not escalate into drunken violence that compromises people’s safety. We want people to enjoy the vibrant nightlife in Greater Manchester, but to do it responsibly, and avoid trouble by walking away.”
State of Mind would like to wish Sean a very speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him playing again soon