Kick was not deliberate says Swansea City's Ashley Williams
Last updated on .From the section Football
Swansea defender Ashley Williams has insisted he did not deliberately kick the ball into Manchester United striker Robin van Persie's head.
Van Persie was lying on the ground when Williams kicked the ball from a couple of yards away after the referee blew for a foul.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said the Dutchman is "lucky to be alive" but Williams downplayed the incident.
"I've seen it on the TV and that's his [Ferguson's] opinion," Williams said.
"Everyone's going to have their own opinion but from my point of view I tried to apologise on the pitch but it all flared up.
"I just kicked the ball in frustration and obviously not trying to hit him square on the head.
"I understand exactly why he's angry. I'd be the same if the ball hit me on the head at that pace."
The Manchester United manager said the Wales captain had deliberately aimed the ball at Van Persie, who reacted furiously.
Both players were cautioned by referee Michael Oliver following the melee that ensued with Ferguson later calling for Williams to be banned.
The incident happened during a game which ended 1-1 at the Liberty Stadium with Michu cancelling out Patrice Evra's opener for United.
But Wales assistant coach Osian Roberts, who was a summariser at the game for BBC Wales, does not believe it was a deliberate act by Williams.
"The way I saw the incident was that it all happened within a split second," Roberts said.
"The foul's been committed, Van Persie's fallen to the ground, the whistle's been blown and Ashley's clearing the ball.
"The unfortunate part is the ball has struck Van Persie, which isn't a nice thing to see, and I'm sure it was painful at the time.
"But I wouldn't suggest that Ashley has done that on purpose. I'm sure it's purely accidental."
