A Dover Athletic player has been cleared of head-butting and racially abusing a taxi driver.

Ricky Miller, who previously played for Luton Town, was accused of attacking Mohammed Adnan when he refused to take him any further in his cab because of the drunken abuse he was receiving.

Mr Adnan told Luton Crown Court that Miller racially abused him, but the 27-year-old denied the charges.

He said: "I wasn't racist towards him at any point and I did not assault him in any way."

Miller of Valence End, Dunstable, pleaded not guilty to racially aggravated fear of provocation or violence towards Mr Adnan, racially aggravated assault by beating on the taxi driver and an alternative charge of assault by beating. He was cleared of all three charges.

Prosecutor Paul Fairley told the jury of seven men and five women that the footballer had attended Luton Town’s end of season dinner and celebrations at Hockliffe, near Leighjon Buzzard, Bedfordshire, on April 27 this year.

Some of the players then went on to Pink Punters, a nightclub in Fenny Stratford in Milton Keynes.

At around 3.30 in the morning Miller is said to have got into a row and he and fellow player, Shaun Whalley were ejected from the nightclub.

The pair were put into Mr Adnan’s taxi which was waiting on the rank and a £30 fare was paid upfront to take them onto a night club in Dunstable called Cookies and Cream.

The prosecutor said: "Mr Miller was very drunk indeed, described as completely wasted."

After he was acquitted, Miller tweeted: "Crazy I lost my job, my house had to sign on, mine and my families name completely dragged through the mud and in the end .... Not guilty."

Miller signed for Dover Athletic at the end of last season. Dover are third in the Vanarama National League after beating Aldershot 5-2 on Saturday.