Wrexham's James McClean admits why he punched Cardiff City fan - Phil Parkinson's had his say | OneFootball

Wrexham's James McClean has spoken out on his altercation with a Cardiff City fan, while manager Phil Parkinson has also commented on the situation.

Wrexham winger James McClean has confirmed that he punched a Cardiff City supporter ahead of the EFL Cup meeting between the two sides last month, while Red Dragons manager Phil Parkinson has also addressed the incident.

Wrexham welcomed their Welsh rivals to the SToK Cae Ras in the EFL Cup fourth round last month, and despite the divisional difference between the clubs, League One side Cardiff booked their place in the next round of the tournament with a surprise 2-1 victory.

Goals from Yousef Salech and Will Fish either side of Kieffer Moore's equaliser for the Red Dragons secured the Bluebirds' progression, and they will host Premier League giants Chelsea at the Cardiff City Stadium in the quarter-finals in mid-December.

However, while the result on the pitch generated plenty of headlines, the evening was overshadowed by reports that McClean had been involved in an altercation with a Cardiff supporter in the car park ahead of the game.

North Wales Police have not received any reports relating to the incident, but McClean, who was an unused substitute for the clash against the Bluebirds, has now broken his silence on the situation and given his account of what happened.

Wrexham's James McClean and Phil Parkinson speak out on Cardiff City fan altercation

In a statement shared with talkSPORT presenter Jim White, McClean admitted that he did punch a Cardiff fan ahead of the game, and he claimed that he acted in self defence after a number of visiting supporters became aggressive towards him in the car park.

"What happened was I got out of my car in the players' car park," McClean said.

"Somehow, there were four male Cardiff fans, also 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.

"Like I've told you in previous interviews, Jim, 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."

For the fourth time in the last five league games, McClean was not involved in the matchday squad for Wrexham's 0-0 draw against Portsmouth on Wednesday night, but manager Parkinson was still quizzed about the incident in his post-match interview at Fratton Park, and he insisted that a line has been drawn under the matter.

"I had a chat with James on the evening and it's been dealt with," Parkinson told the BBC.

"That's it. No more to say on that tonight."

Phil Parkinson delivered the correct response to controversial James McClean, Wrexham situation before Cardiff City tie

It has been a positive few weeks for Wrexham in the Championship, with the Red Dragons picking up eight points from their last four league games, so the last thing Parkinson needs is for off-field incidents to overshadow the progress his side are making on the pitch.

Parkinson was giving little away when asked about McClean's confrontation with a Cardiff fan, but by making it clear that he has dealt with the issue and offering no further comment, he has prevented any further unwelcome speculation about an internal rift from gathering pace.

Instead, it will suit all at Wrexham for the issue being dealt with in-house, and the Red Dragons will be looking ahead to tomorrow's clash at home to Charlton Athletic.

As investigations take place to establish how Bluebirds supporters managed to gain access to the car park used by Wrexham players, McClean will now be looking to turn his focus back on football, particularly as he has lost his place in the matchday squad in recent weeks.