CCTV image shows man who stabbed footballer Jonny Cooper

CCTV footage of the alleged assailant who repeatedly stabbed Dublin footballer Jonny Cooper has been released by gardaí.

The man attacked Cooper as he was walking home after a night socialising with friends in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The CCTV footage shows Cooper being repeatedly stabbed in the top of the head and the shoulders on Dublin’s Dorset Street Upper.

The assailant passed him on the other side of the road, did a loop and approached Cooper from the front.

When the 24-year-old footballer refused to hand over his wallet, the attacker stabbed him and then robbed him.

Cooper was stabbed again when he tried to defend himself.

Speaking on last night's Crimecall programme, Supt Kevin Gralton from Fitzgibbon Street Garda Station said it was of "vital importance" that the attacker be tracked down and prosecuted.

“We want to take action against this individual as quickly as possible,” he said.

The CCTV footage shows blood streaming from Mr Cooper’s head and shoulders as he tries to fight off his attacker.