Northern Ireland defender Ciaron Brown out to clear name in bet probe

Northern Ireland defender Ciaron Brown will deny allegations of spot-fixing and allow the Football Association to examine his mobile phone.

The Oxford United ace is desperate to clear his name over an allegedly suspicious booking against Arsenal.

Pictures surfaced of WhatsApp messages – still to be confirmed as genuine – encouraging fans to place wagers on Brown to get booked during Monday’s FA Cup tie.

An investigation was launched by the FA but they have not quizzed Brown yet.

Oxford say they will carry out their own probe surrounding the circumstances of his yellow card in the 59th minute.

Brown, who has 12 Northern Ireland caps, was booked after pulling down striker Eddie Nketiah and then going on to push midfielder Fabio Vieira in the 3-0 defeat.

Bookmakers are divided over whether the incident was suspicious, with some attributing the amount of betting activity to a pricing error, but others suggest there could be more to it.