Newcastle United footballer Laurent Robert has denied he was involved in a scuffle with a local newspaper reporter.

He reportedly had to be restrained by fellow Newcastle players Kieron Dyer and Lomana LuaLua after a skirmish in a corridor outside the St James’s Park media suite.

He has been accused of attempting to punch Alan Oliver, of the Evening Chronicle, following criticism in the newspaper in an article that claimed he did not know what it meant to wear the famous black and white stripes.

But Robert said: “This year I don’t know why I became a target for him.

“I accept criticism on my performances but when I’m told things like that, I lose my temper. I went to him and told him,” he wrote on his personal website.

“But unlike what was said, there was no assault.”

The newspaper described the attack as “unacceptable” but said it wanted to draw a line under the incident.

Alan Oliver himself has since said he did not regret a word he had written about the player.

He said in the sports pages: “Although shocked at what happened, we at the Chronicle preferred not to sensationalise the episode, believing that it should not be allowed to overshadow a couple of superb United performances.

“I turned down countless requests for interviews from newspapers, TV and radio stations, in the hope that the whole thing would blow over.

“But yesterday Robert was reportedly denying that he had assaulted me.

“Yet the the three people – Kieron Dyer, LuaLua and a club official – who pulled him off me, not to mention the numerous others who were present, know otherwise.

“Just to show there are no hard feelings, I contacted the club on Monday trying to arrange a meeting with Robert in the hope that we could shake hands and put the incident behind us.

“The offer was declined by Robert.”

But he added: “Laurent Robert was more like his old self against Liverpool on Wednesday. Long may it continue.”

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