Former Leeds United striker Mallik Wilks due to appear in court to be sentenced for affray over disturbance at West Indian Carnival

Wilks has pleaded guilty to affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm over the incident which took place in August 2017.

Wilks, now a player with Hull City, pleaded guilty to the offences at a hearing on July 9 when a judge agreed to adjourn the sentencing hearing until he end of the football season after indicating that he will not be imposing a prison sentence. The hearing is due to take place at Leeds Crown Court at 11am today (July 27).

The 21-year-old was facing a trial in June next year for violent disorder but the Crown Prosecution Service accepted a guilty plea to the lesser charge of affray.

Father-of-two Wilks entered guilty pleas after a hearing in which Judge Mustaq Khokhar was invited to indicate the likely sentence that would be imposed for the offences.

Wilks' barrister, James Lake, told the court that his client had made positive changes to his life since the incident.

Mr Lake said Wilks now had a partner and two children and is a devoted family man.

The barrister said Wilks has signed a three-year contract with Hull City but would be sacked if he was sent to custody.

Mr Lake said the incident happened when Wilks was just 18 years old and was struggling to come to death with the murder of his brother Raheem Wilks.

Raheem was shot and killed in a targeted shooting at a barber's shop in January 2017.

The court heard Wilks now sees himself as a role model for youngsters in the area of Leeds where he grew up and does volunteer work at Chapeltown Youth Development Centre.

Prosecutor David Gordon confirmed that the guilty pleas were acceptable to the Crown.

The judge said: "It seems to me that nothing would be achieved as far as society is concerned by sending this man to custody.

"Firstly, he would lose his contract of employment.

"Secondly, it would bring hardship on his partner and children and all the work he has done over the last three years in order to rehabilitate himself would come to nothing."

The court heard Wilks was among a group of around eight people involved in a disturbance at the carnival on August 28, 2017

One man suffered a stab injury to his chest.

He required surgery to have fluid removed from his chest after the incident.

Mr Lake said there was no evidence to indicate that Wilks was armed with a knife or was responsible for inflicting the injuries.

The barrister said the disturbance was not linked to his brother's murder.

Judge Khokhar described the offences to which Wilks had pleaded guilty as "very serious."

He said: "If this case had come before me nearer to the time (of the incident), circumstances would be different."

Wilks made his debut for Leeds United against Sutton United in the FA Cup on January 27, 2017.

Wilks had loan spells at Doncaster Rovers, Accrington Stanley and Grimsby Town during his time with the Elland Road Club.

He then joined Barnsley before moving to Hull City on a loan deal in February this year.

It was announced earlier this month that Wilks had signed a permanent deal with Hull.