A footballer has been banned from the sport worldwide for five years because he broke an opponent’s jaw during a match.

Nathan O’Dwyer, 20, punched Samuel Morley once in the face when the other player shoulder tackled him during a six-a-side match at PlayFootball, York.

Clifton Moor, Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, told York Crown Court.

Bar manager Mr Morley fell to the ground with blood pouring from his mouth and was taken to hospital where he spent two days and needed surgery to repair his jaw.

He is so psychologically scarred by the incident, despite loving football himself, he has been unable to play since. He still has problems eating and numbness to his lower face, and has been on restricted duties at his work as bar manager.

“Although it was just one punch, the impact upon me has been severe,” he told Judge Neil Davey QC in a victim impact statement.

Following the match on August 13, North Riding County FA banned O’Dwyer from all football for five years until August 17, 2019.

At the time he was on the books of Strensall and Wigginton Grasshoppers clubs, but was not playing for either at the gym. His barrister Sobia Ahmed said of the ban: “That of itself is a severe punishment. This is an extremely sad fall from grace for a young man for whom football was a passion at the time.

“He knows he saw red and that was completely unjustified in those circumstances.” Apprentice refrigerator engineer O’Dwyer, of Rowan Avenue, New Earswick, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and was ordered to do 100 hours’ unpaid work and pay £2,000 compensation to Mr Morley. He had no previous convictions.

Mr Sabiston said O’Dwyer was immediately sent off and had tried to apologise to Mr Morley the same day. In a series of Facebook exchanges with the match referee, he described himself as a “tad” wound up and asked how long a ban he would get.

Miss Ahmed said O’Dwyer felt ashamed of his actions. Mr Morley had said something during the tackle that O’Dwyer had objected to and he had hit out, she said. He had been under pressure financially at the time and had been working his way back to full fitness after injuring his knee. The punch had been out of character.