A thug who might have wrecked the career of a promising footballer in a vicious bottling attack said to have had racial undertones has been jailed for 21 months.

Marcus Martin left 19-year-old Luke Mathias with a serious eye injury and in need of another operation to remove glass from it and the fear of a detached retina.

"Your behaviour was inexcusable. It culminated in this disgraceful incident of violence..." - Judge David Griffith-Jones QC

The semi-professional teenager was on a scholarship with Championship side Millwall when he was assaulted by Martin, 26, in August last year. He has not been able to play since.

Martin, of Mercers Close, Paddock Wood, denied wounding with intent and his guilty plea to unlawful wounding was accepted.

Judge David Griffith-Jones QC imposed a restraining order, banning Martin from contacting Luke, of Five Oak Green, or his family after hearing racial abuse had been directed at them on Facebook and in other ways.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Luke, who played for England Under 14s, was socialising with friends in a garden in Cogate Road, Paddock Wood, when a group of men including Martin was passing.

The judge said one of the group made a racial insult to Mr Mathias.

"Not surprisingly, he took offence and sought to challenge the individual, asking why that had been said," he added.

"Instead of adopting a sensible and conciliatory stance or simply walking away, you chose to act aggressively towards him. You were carrying a weapon, a glass bottle, which you sought to launch against him.

"It shattered in his face. Most significantly, it damaged his eye through the shards of broken glass. This was plainly a cowardly, gratuitous and wholly unnecessary attack."

Prosecutor Martin Yale said the tear to the eye had healed well and his vision had returned, but there was a risk of a detached retina and Mr Mathias needed an operation at London's Moorfield's Hospital next month to have glass removed from his eyeball.

"There is permanent injury to the eye which may affect his vision on an ongoing basis," said Mr Yale.

Judge Griffith-Jones told Martin: "Your behaviour was inexcusable. It culminated in this disgraceful incident of violence. The effect on Luke Mathias has been very considerable. I have been moved by what he has said in his victim statement."