Liverpool great 'lost his head', took top off and waited for me in the Newcastle tunnel
The St James' Park tunnel has seen some sights. Roy Keane once waited for Alan Shearer at the top of the steps after the Manchester United captain was sent off while, just last month, Dan Burn clashed with Southampton defender Jan Bednarek before staff from both sides got in between the pair. Now former Newcastle United defender James Perch has spoken about the afternoon Pepe Reina 'wanted to kill' him.
Let's rewind back to April 1, 2012. There were 82 minutes on the clock at St James' and Newcastle were 2-0 up against Liverpool.
Reina had just collected Mike Williamson's header and rushed off his line in an attempt to kick the ball out quickly. Perch, realising his team-mates were out of position, tripped the goalkeeper. That was the cue for Reina to 'lose his head' in Perch's own words.
READ MORE:'No one tries to hit you' - Joelinton thankful for Newcastle United behaviour after 'worst period'
READ MORE:'Really demanding' - Paul Mitchell's biggest move at Newcastle as 'great addition' secured
Reina barged into Perch, squared up to Newcastle's stand-in centre-back and leaned in with his forehead. It was the only contact Perch needed to dramatically fall to the turf and Reina was sent off by referee Martin Atkinson. To top it off, Liverpool had already made their maximum number of substitutions so Jose Enrique had to go in goal for the final minutes of the game on his return to Tyneside.
Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson called the decision a 'joke' and questioned if Perch was 'for real'. However, boss Kenny Dalglish, who, of course, previously managed Newcastle, said it was a 'deserved' red card. You suspect Reina did not see it that way.
"All I know is Pepe Reina wanted to kill me," Perch recalled to the club website this week. "It was just the heat of the moment. He was waiting in the tunnel. And he's a big lad. He took his top off and I thought, 'I've got to deal with this!' I said, 'Colo [Fabricio Coloccini], go and speak to him.'"