Liverpool defender Steve Finnan was arrested in April on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, police sources revealed on Tuesday.

Finnan, who played in Liverpool's stunning European Cup final victory last month, was involved in a crash in January which left an 81-year-old pensioner with serious head injuries from which he died five weeks later.

"A 29-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on April 11, 2005, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving," a spokeswoman for Merseyside police said.

"He was bailed pending further inquiries to appear at a police station on Wednesday June 29."

News of the arrest emerged only after an inquest opened on Monday into the pensioner's death.

Finnan, a Republic of Ireland international, joined Liverpool from Fulham in 2003.

He played the first half of Liverpool's epic European Cup victory over AC Milan before being substituted after an injury.