Stephen Hunt has dismissed suggestions that he is nasty player, but the Reading winger has admitted he deserved the widespread criticism he received for a recent foul on Manchester City man Gelson Fernandes.

Hunt has had a number of brushes with authority and was public enemy number one at Chelsea for some time following the injury to Petr Cech.

Reading chief Steve Coppell, who Hunt claims is the only manager to have believed in him, says the Irishman plays with 'controlled fury' but the winger has admitted he overstepped the mark against City when taking Fernandes out at knee height.

"That wasn't controlled," Hunt admitted to The Guardian. "It was a bad tackle and I fully deserved the criticism I got on Match of the Day.

"I wasn't happy with myself either. I do play with controlled fury 99 percent of the time, but that one percent stands out."