A footballer from Northern Ireland has been arrested while on a stag weekend in Spain.

Linfield defender William ‘Winkie’ Murphy (35) was detained by the authorities in the holiday resort of Torremolinos as he celebrated with his south Belfast team-mates on Saturday.

The veteran Blues player, who was last night still believed to be in police custody, is expected to appear before a magistrate in the Malaga area within the next couple of days.

The judge will have to decide whether or not to grant bail.

Mr Murphy’s arrest comes almost two years to the day since he was caught up in a fake cash scam while on another stag party on the Spanish island of Majorca.

The exact circumstances surrounding this latest incident remained unclear.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “We can confirm that a British man has been arrested in Torremolinos. Consular assistance has been offered.”

So far Linfield Football Club, which narrowly lost out on the Irish League title last month, has refused to comment but officials based at Windsor Park have said a statement may be released in due course.

Club secretary Ken Greer described the arrest as a “personal matter”.

“We have no comment to make. It’s a personal matter and until we hear the outcome we will not be saying anything,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.

It is understood Mr Murphy had travelled to Spain with a number of other Linfield players as part of a stag party for the team’s right back, Jim Ervin. There is no indication that any other Linfield members have been held.

On May 14, 2007 Murphy, then Player of the Year, and another footballer, Paul McAreavey, were arrested after staff at a nightclub in the party resort of Magaluf became suspicious of notes being innocently passed by the two men.

Both men had unwittingly passed the money, mostly in €20 and €50 notes, as change during their weekend trip.

When the pair were arrested, police found a total of around €300 in counterfeit cash on them.

There was no suggestion that either Murphy or McAreavey knew the money was fake.

At that time Linfield boss David Jeffrey lent his support to Mr Murphy and hit out at his treatment by the Spanish authorities.