Wrexham midfielder James McClean has admitted to punching a Cardiff City fan in the players' car park before last Tuesday's Carabao Cup match between the two sides. The League One side Wrexham beat Cardiff 2-1 to advance to the quarter-finals against Chelsea.
McClean, 36, claims that the incident occurred after he was confronted by four Cardiff fans as he arrived at the SToK Cae Ras stadium. According to McClean, the fans began "running their mouths off" at him, prompting him to react after a second verbal jab. He told TalkSport that one of the fans, described as a "tall chap with glasses," made a "hostile move" toward him. McClean stated he felt threatened in his workplace and acted in self-defense, throwing a punch to prevent the fan from making the first swing.
"Words were said," McClean explained. "One of them, a tall chap with glasses, made a hostile move towards me… 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. Four men, one of me".
McClean defended his actions, stating that footballers should not be subjected to abuse without consequences. "People need to understand just because we play football doesn't mean people can try and take liberties without their actions having consequences," McClean said. He added that nothing further occurred after the initial incident, and the situation was dealt with.
It has been reported that North Wales Police will not be investigating the incident. Wrexham AFC released a statement acknowledging the incident and confirming that it had been reported to the relevant authorities but declined to comment further. "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," the club stated. "We will be making no further comment on the matter at this stage".
The Republic of Ireland international joined Wrexham in 2023. The incident occurred before Wrexham's match against Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Wednesday evening.
