Cardiff City striker Jay Bothroyd has lifted the lid on why he was bombed out of Arsenal eight years ago.

During the 2000 Premier League Youth Cup final, Bothroyd was substituted by Don Howe and angrily ripped off his shirt, throwing it at the coach.

Bothroyd told the Sunday Times: "It was a moment of madness. I disrespected Don Howe and it was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I've grown up now and can understand why they moved me on.

"I wouldn't say I was a bad lad. Put it this way: that Arsenal youth team just didn't lose games, so we all became arrogant. We had a way about us - we felt we were The Untouchables. At that age, you don't appreciate what you've got and how lucky you are. You take it for granted. Now I realise how cocky I was. Mind you, it wasn't just me - everybody in that squad was the same.

"There was Jermaine Pennant, Steve Sidwell, Jerome Thomas, Rohan Ricketts, Moritz Volz. We were good. If we'd done now what we did then, we'd be getting our chances in the first team but back then it didn't happen. The Arsenal first team more or less picked itself every week."