Vinnie Jones explained why he took out 5-year-old Leeds mascot before game

Vinnie Jones took no prisoners on the football pitch.

The Welsh midfielder was not scared of anyone and would fly into challenges left, right and centre when on the field.

Jones started his career at Wealdstone, before going on to play for the likes of Wimbledon, Leeds United and Chelsea.

His stint at Leeds was brief: he only played one season at the club before departing for Sheffield United.

It was during his time at The Whites where he wiped out a five-year-old mascot.

You read that right.

In 1989, before one of Leeds' matches, Jones flew into a challenge on a young mascot and wiped him out.

No footage remains of the incident but images survive and it doesn't look like he held back at all.

30 years ago today Vinnie Jones scythed down a tiny Leeds United mascot. Straight red tbf. #lufc pic.twitter.com/h4vTTAmrUR

27 years after the incident, Jones appeared on Soccer AM where he was quizzed about the moment.

Jones explained his reasoning behind taking out the youngster and his story was brilliant.

He said: “He had to have it. He had to go. He was giving it all that on the way out he was. Started getting the crowd going. Mervyn Day was in goal. He smashed one past Merv in the top corner. So I thought ‘he’s got to go’.

“It was before the game. I was just getting warmed up.

“When you go out with the mascots and you are holding hands, I thought ‘has anyone ever taken one out?’ That would be a crack.

“It was really wet and slidy as well. I went to Batts [David Batty]: ‘Watch this’. He went: ‘No! No!'”

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“I went sliding in. I slid quite a long way. I took his legs out just as he was about to smack one at the ‘keeper.”

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