Pienaar charged with assault

Steven Pienaar has been charged with assault for his alleged involvement in a night club brawl in his native South Africa.

The 30-year-old midfielder, who finished last season on loan at Everton, was arrested by police after he handed himself in following the incident at the Icon club in Johannesburg.

Pienaar appeared before Randburg Magistrates Court last Wednesday, facing charges of assault against Thabang Mnisi, the son of South Africa’s deputy minister of public service and administration, Ayanda Dlodlo.

Pienaar and a group of friends allegedly attacked Mnisi on June 17, punching and kicking him in the head several times following a row over the usage of the toilet in the club’s VIP area.

Pienaar signed for Everton in 2007 and enjoyed four successful years on Merseyside before joining Tottenham in January 2011.

However, the South African struggled to cement a place at White Hart Lane and returned to Goodison Park on early this year.

A spokesman for Tottenham said that they were aware of the story but would not make any comment until they ‘had the chance to speak to the player and his representatives’.

The midfielder is no stranger to brushes with the authorities after being convicted of drink driving in 2010 and banned for 12 months.

The 30-year-old was also arrested two years earlier after allegedly assaulting a woman in a Liverpool flat, although the charges were later dropped.

Pienaar is currently on holiday in the Caribbean, but must reappear before the court on July 4.