Wrexham and Republic of Ireland winger James McClean has confirmed he threw a punch at a Cardiff City fan in self-defence before last week's Carabao Cup clash. The 36-year-old told talkSPORT that he was confronted by four Cardiff supporters in the players' car park at the SToK Cae Ras stadium.
McClean claimed the fans 'started running their mouths off' and that he reacted after a second jibe. 'One of them, a tall chap with glasses, made a hostile move towards me,' McClean said. 'I'm in my workplace and I feel I should never feel threatened in that workplace. So instead, I wasn't waiting for him to make the first swing, so I did.'
The incident occurred before the League One side's 2-1 victory over the Championship club, which earned them a quarter-final against Chelsea. North Wales Police have been contacted but the incident is reportedly not being investigated.
Wrexham said in a statement: 'Wrexham AFC are aware of an incident involving a first-team player and a visiting supporter ahead of our match against Cardiff City, which has been reported to the relevant authorities. We will be making no further comment on the matter at this stage.'
McClean added: 'People need to understand just because we play football doesn't mean people can try and take liberties without their actions having consequences.' Wrexham face Portsmouth at Fratton Park in the Championship on Wednesday evening.
