Wrexham footballer James McClean says he punched a Cardiff City fan in self-defence after being confronted before a match.
McClean, who plays as a winger, said a group of rival fans “started running their mouths off” at him as he was getting out of his car in the players’ car park.
Wrexham AFC said the incident happened before the two clubs faced each other in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup at The Racecourse on 28 October.
McClean told Talksport: “I’m in my workplace and I feel I should never feel threatened in that workplace… I wasn’t waiting for him to make the first swing. So I did.”
He said: “Somehow, there were four male Cardiff fans – late 20s, early 30s.
“They recognised me [and] immediately started running their mouths off at me. I ignored the first jibe.
“The second, I responded to and I confronted them about it.
“Words were said. One of them, a tall chap with glasses, made a hostile move towards me.”
McClean added: “People need to understand just because we play football doesn’t mean people can try to take liberties without their actions having consequences.
“That was it. Nothing further happened. And the situation was dealt with.”
The game, which kicked off at 20:00 GMT, saw Cardiff City win 2-1 to secure a spot in the quarter-final against Chelsea at home on 16 December.
Wrexham said the incident was “reported to the relevant authorities” and declined to provide any further comment.
Cardiff City FC said it has not received a formal complaint “from any supporter”, adding it has not been approached by Wrexham or North Wales Police.
North Wales Police said it has not received any reports relating to the incident.
The Northern Ireland-born player was the subject of verbal abuse earlier this year, when Lincoln City fans aimed anti-Catholic chants at him during a match on 3 May.
The club was fined £8,500 by the Football Association for failing to control supporters.
McClean, 36, grew up in Londonderry and has previously said he learned how to make petrol bombs at 11 years old because of the riots.
He has refused to wear a poppy because of Bloody Sunday – when 13 people were shot dead when members of the British Army’s Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in 1972.
He has 103 caps for the Republic of Ireland, scoring 11 goals for the national team between 2012 and 2023.
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