In an interview with Alan Shearer on the Premier League show on BBC2 last night, Jamaal Lascelles has admitted that he came to blows with Mo Diame as he didn’t like what he saw, claiming he doesn’t care who upsets or falls out with, he is simply doing his job as captain of Newcastle United.
It was revealed earlier last month that Jamaal Lascelles and Mo Diame were involved in a training ground fight – seeing Jonjo Shelvey break his finger in an attempt to stop the pair trading blows.
It’s been suggested that the skipper repeatedly called Diame ‘lazy’ during a ‘feisty’ training session at the Benton training base, with Diame’s response to the skipper seeing the pair begin trading blows.
It is now water under the bridge, with Diame and Lascelles making up and arranging to take the team out for a meal as a way of apologising, but Lascelles has defended his actions, admitting that it is his responsibility to step in if he doesn’t like what he sees going on in training:
“I just didn’t like what I saw.
“I don’t care who I upset. If we fall out, we fall out.
“If it comes to blows, it comes to blows.
I’ve got to do my job and that’s why I wear the armband.”
Bold comments from Lascelles here, who clearly has little issue with making it known if someone is not pulling their weight enough.
An old-school approach and a refreshing one (providing we don’t see TOO many training ground fights!), with former captain Fabricio Coloccini appearing to take a far less vocal approach in comparison to the outspoken but honest Lascelles.
