Pennant - Racist comment sparked punch
JERMAINE PENNANT has insisted that his sending off in England Under-21s' match against Croatia was as a direct result of racial abuse, and not indicative of his normal attitude.
Pennant was dismissed in the international game, the day before completing a loan switch to Leeds United from Arsenal, after punching Niko Kranjcar.
"The guy has come up to me and called me a black b*****," said Pennant.
"At first I didn't think I'd heard him right- it was a total shock - and my reaction was to hit out, I just didn't have control over it.
"Those kind of comments are disgusting.
"I thought racism was being wiped out of the game but obviously it's still out there in some countries.
"I was about to join Leeds and I was worried that it wouldn't look good on them; that I could be made out as some sort of wildcat.
"But David Platt knows exactly what happened."
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