Pennant speaks out over concert allegations

Jermaine Pennant has admitted he needs to be “more clever” following the latest incident to cast a shadow over the Birmingham winger.

Pennant has been left saddened and stunned by allegations he was involved in a fight with a doorman and also ejected at 3am from a club in Broad Street where an after-show party was being held for rapper Kanye West.

The 23-year-old insists nothing could be further from the truth, and although believing he did nothing wrong, he realises he has to learn to keep his head down and stay out of the front-page headlines.

Speaking for the first time about the incident, Pennant said: “He [Bruce] had to keep faith in me because at the end of the day what happened is nothing to do with me. My name just got brought into it.”

Pennant appreciates past problems do not help, and because of that he is potentially an easy target.

Last season he served a month-long prison sentence for drink driving offences while on a season-long loan from Arsenal.

That failed to deter manager Steve Bruce from signing Pennant on a permanent deal in the summer, although the winger allegedly turned up drunk for training on one occasion.

Bruce dealt with the latest matter internally, and had no hesitation in naming Pennant – who has been one of his star players this season – in the starting line-up for the defeat to Boro.

Pennant added: “It was a big concert, obviously I like the guy [West], I went to the party afterwards, and then the next thing I’m supposed to have been in a fight. It’s ridiculous.

“There was no fight at all. But somebody has chirped up, thinking I am an easy target, and they’ve said I had a fight. It’s a joke.

“It saddens me. People look at my past, something happens, and then ’bang’, people automatically think it’s true.

“The picture where I was talking to a policewoman, I’m saying to her: ’What’s happening here?’ and she told me there was some commotion.

“The next thing I’m in the papers. It’s madness, and the way it has been blown out of proportion is amazing and annoying.

“I’m 23 years old, I’m on night out and we’ve the next day off. What’s the problem with that? I don’t see one.

“I know I’ve a job to do, but at the same time I’ve got to have a social life. I just have to be more clever.

“I’ve got to learn. I can’t be seen in those kind of places hanging around because all I was doing was waiting for a friend to come out.

“I’ve told the gaffer what happened, and nothing has come out of it. I’ve been fined, but I’m still playing, so the truth is there.”

Despite playing the full 90 minutes, Pennant was unable to prevent Birmingham from suffering a sixth defeat in their last seven away matches.

Mark Viduka again proved their undoing with his fifth goal in four matches against the Blues, striking his first Premiership goal for three months on the stroke of half-time.

City now face a crunch relegation showdown with midlands rivals West Brom at St Andrews on Saturday knowing a victory will lift them out of the bottom three for the first time since mid-October.

“It’s the start of a make-or-break period for us,” added Pennant.

“If we lose then they will be six points clear, and then we have big games to follow [Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea] which could make it difficult.

“But if we win we go above them on goal difference, then it will be down to whoever is the best team over the last few games.

“It’s not going to be a very pretty game, but we’re going to be up for it, with no quarter given. We have to get into them from the off.

“It’s going to be one of those games where you don’t mind how you get a goal - off a back, shoulder, knee. Just as long as it goes in and it’s our goal them I’m sure we’ll be happy with it.”

With four wins from their last five league games, Boro’s relegation worries appear to be fading fast as they find themselves 11 points clear of the drop zone.

With 34 points in total they have amassed the same number that kept West Brom up last season, but manager Steve McClaren said: “You never feel safe.

“But this is a win that eases our fears of relegation, and we can start to look up. Our target is a top-half of the table finish.

“We’re also still in the FA Cup and UEFA Cup, so we’ve still a hell of a lot to play for.”