Woodgate is told he must move to Leeds to save his career

Jonathan Woodgate, the Leeds United footballer convicted of affray last week in connection with a vicious assault on an Asian student, has been told by his manager to move house from his native Middlesbrough if he wants to save his career.

"He has to leave Middlesbrough, he has to move down to Leeds, change his environment and that is not up for debate," David O'Leary said. "It is a condition of him remaining a Leeds player."

Woodgate was cleared of grievous bodily harm in the attack on Sarfraz Najeib, a 21-year-old student, in Leeds city centre last year in which Mr Najeib was left unconscious with a broken nose and cheekbone and a fractured leg. One of Woodgate's friends from Middlesbrough, Paul Clifford, was found guilty of grievous bodily harm and affray and was jailed for six years while another, Neale Caveney, was convicted of affray and given 100 hours of community service. Woodgate was also ordered to serve 100 hours of community service, while his Leeds teammate, Lee Bowyer, was cleared of assault and affray charges.

Mr O'Leary has outlined his disgust at his players' behaviour, including their involvement in the drunken spree that led to the attack and the subsequent telling of lies about the incident. He has also revealed that Leeds hired a private detective to check the players' "suspect stories" and added that he was "enraged" when he learned the truth. He said the pair had been "economical with the truth".

"Whatever the court decided, they were guilty in my eyes for failing to exercise control, lacking in responsibility and for failing to behave as professional footballers should," Mr O'Leary told yesterday's Sunday People.

"What did they think they were doing, boozed up and running through the streets? Was that not inviting trouble?"

Leeds United had said before the trial that Woodgate and Mr Bowyer would not play for the club again if convicted of grievous bodily harm.

The Leeds chairman, Peter Ridsdale, said on Friday that the verdicts did not preclude either from selection. Mr Bowyer has continued playing during the legal proceedings, which stretched over two trials after the first was abandoned. Woodgate has spent much of the time injured. Neither player was in the squad for yesterday's Premier League game with Leicester, although the club said they did not play because both had injuries.

Mr O'Leary's anger over the weekend was not restricted to his players. He also attacked the Football Association for refusing to consider either player for the England team during the trials. "They [the FA] have handled this disgracefully," he said.

Since the verdicts, the FA has confirmed that the England manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, is free to select Mr Bowyer if he chose. A decision on Woodgate is pending.