Former Dale player denies murder

A former Rochdale footballer has denied murdering a night club doorman in Manchester city centre.

Raphale Evans was still on the books at Dale when he was arrested for the suspected murder of Mohammed Kaleem Rafeek in March.

The 18-year old, who rose through the youth ranks at Spotland but did not make a first team appearance last season, denied charges of murder and attempted murder at Manchester Crown Court.

Mr Rafeek was killed in an attack outside a Manchester curry house, where he had gone for a meal with a friend following his shift at the Mansion nightclub. His friend was left with severe wounds following the attack.

Evans last played for the Rochdale first team at the end of the 2007/08 season, in a 1-1 home draw with Shrewsbury, but he appeared in a number of pre-season friendlies last summer and was a regular in the reserve side last season.

He appeared in court alongside four other men, all from Longsight in Manchester, and all five denied the charges against them.

They will appear again at Manchester Crown Court on 4 September and are set to be tried on 5 October.