New Cardiff City signing Michael Chopra has hit out at claims he did not want to score against hometown club Newcastle for arch-rivals Sunderland.

The 25-year-old passed up the chance to win the derby clash at St James' Park on February 1 when, having gone in on goal with just minutes remaining, he elected to square for Kenwyne Jones rather than testing goalkeeper Steve Harper.

Conspiracy theories have abounded on Wearside ever since the game, fuelled in part by his swift return to Cardiff on loan until the end of the season with the option of a permanent switch to follow.

However, Chopra has hit back angrily.

He told the South Wales Echo: "I haven't got a point to prove to anybody.

"I have read a lot about the Newcastle game and comments by a certain Gary Rowell.

"He knocked me for not shooting, and at the end of the day, I took a wrong option.

"But in a previous game, the same thing happened and we scored, so the guy should shut his month because he doesn't know what he's talking about.

"Last season, my six goals earned Sunderland 13 points, so his point really doesn't hold any water.

"It's absolutely nonsense to suggest that I didn't want to shoot against Newcastle.

"I made my mind up early and that was it. On another day, I might have hit the ball first time and scored; I might have missed and people would have said I should have squared the ball.

"You can't win."