A FORMER North-East soccer star could lose his ear after an attacker with a grudge tried to bite it off.

Ex-Newcastle United striker George Reilly needed 50 stitches to sew his ear back on, and doctors have warned him he could still lose it.

The attack came on a building site where Mr Reilly, 45, was working, near his home in Corby, Northamptonshire. The thug punched him to the ground, bit off nearly all of his right ear and whispered the word "Plymouth" into his other ear.

The striker scored the winner for Watford against Plymouth Argyle in the 1984 FA Cup semi-final and believes his attacker had borne a grudge ever since.

He said: "People have strong loyalties, but this is taking it a bit far. This guy just punched me.Then he bit me. My ear was hanging by the lobe. I also needed eight stitches in my eye."

Mr Reilly left Watford shortly after scoring the goal his attacker was referring to. He joined Newcastle in 1985 and played for the Magpies for just one season, scoring ten goals in 33 appearances.