DISGRACED Leeds United star Jonathan Woodgate was in hospital last night after suffering a fractured jaw in a vicious street attack while out drinking in his home town of Middlesbrough.

The 22-year-old, convicted of affray on Asian student Sarfraz Najeib in Leeds in January 2000, is recovering from an operation to reset his jaw in Middlesbrough General Hospital.

Tuesday's late night attack came only hours before he was banned from driving for six months yesterday after he was convicted in his absence of his fifth speeding offence in four years.

Although he still faces being sued by the Najeib family, Woodgate has since completed a 100-hour community service order imposed at Hull Crown Court and has won acclaim for recent performances on the pitch.

However, Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale last night confirmed that Woodgate's season is now over.

He said: "I can confirm Jonathan Woodgate has undergone an operation after sustaining a broken jaw in an attack on Tuesday night. He will not be available for the rest of the season."

It is understood that the Leeds defender was attacked near a flight of steps leading to Middlesbrough railway station as he went to catch a taxi home.

He is alleged to have been drinking with friends beforehand, starting off at about 5pm at the Brunton Arms in Nunthorpe, on the estate where he grew up.

He and his friends then moved on to Middlesbrough town centre, to The House pub in Linthorpe Road, where they watched the Liverpool-Bayern Leverkeusen European match.

Pub spokeswoman Maureen Heffernan said that Woodgate was with seven friends and had drunk a couple of pints before leaving.

"He doesn't go in and drink to excess at all, he was just on a night out with some friends," she said.

It is understood that Woodgate then moved onto The Mojo caf bar, 50 yards up the road.

Last night, local drinkers also claimed to have seen the soccer star in the Dickens Green pub on Field Road before the attack happened.

But pub manager Chris Nichol said that he had not seen Woodgate with his friends on Tuesday night.

Although the attack is thought to have happened on the approach to the railway station, neither British Transport Police nor Cleveland Police said they had received any complaint from Woodgate.

A spokesman for Cleveland Police said: "We have no record of an attack of that nature in Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening."

Woodgate was banned from the roads yesterday after he was convicted of his second speeding offence in a fortnight.

He pleaded guilty at Harrogate Magistrates Court, through lawyer Nick Freeman, to driving at 91mph on the A1 at Dishforth, North Yorkshire, on July 14 last year.

He had intended to challenge a six-month disqualification imposed at an earlier hearing at Richmond Magistrates Court in North Yorkshire on March 27, when he was also fined £500 with £250 costs for driving at 97mph on the A19 between Thirsk and Northallerton last year.

However, after yesterday's hearing, the player's legal advisors announced he would now drop the appeal, but said he would only suffer a total ban of six months.

Woodgate was also fined £600 yesterday and ordered to pay costs of £750.

Following last December's high profile case involving Sarfraz Najeib at Hull Crown Court, it was reported that Leeds manager David O'Leary had ordered Woodgate, who was saddled with a £1m legal bill, to move his home from Middlesbrough or face the sack.

Moving to Leeds was said to be a condition of him remaining at Elland Road - although the address given for Woodgate in court in Harrogate yesterday remained a house in Nunthorpe.