BLACKBURN Rovers defender Andy Todd has hit back at his critics by insisting he's not the thug they have painted him out to be.

The 30-year-old stopper was harshly described as 'the nastiest man in football' earlier this season following his clash with Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Andy Reid at Ewood.

Todd was accused of deliberately trying to headbutt the Irishman when the sides met in the Premiership in August - a charge he later admitted to which resulted in a three-match ban.

However, the former Charlton and Bolton star insists that was a rare blip and he's not the animal the national Press have tried to portray him as.

Mark Hughes' first team skipper said: "I'm not an angel but I'm not a thug either.

"I'm not a dirty player. I've never deliberately injured anyone and I've never gone over the top with anyone. I'm hard but fair."

Todd's image problems stem back to last season's FA Cup semi-final clash with Arsenal, when he was accused of deliberately elbowing Robin Van Persie. Although the FA promptly cleared him of any blame, Todd's reputation has been tarnished ever since.

"It was a pure accident," said Rovers' current player of the year. "I apologised to the Arsenal players straight away. Some accepted my apology and others didn't.

"But then I looked in the papers the next day and the pictures looked awful. They chose the worst ones. I even started doubting myself.

"I thought 'have I done it?' But there was no forearm smash or elbow. It was an accident."

Todd's reputation suffered a furthering battering earlier this season when he named Adolf Hitler among his ideal dinner guests for a feature in Rovers' matchday programme.

That prompted a fresh outcry with some trying to suggest that Todd admired the German tyrant, which couldn't be further from the truth.

"It was presented as though I wanted to celebrate with Hitler," said the defender.

"But I just wanted to ask him why he could commit such evil atrocities.

"I'm intrigued at how something terrible like the Nazi period can happen.

"I immediately went next door to my Jewish neighbour to explain myself, to say I'm not a racist - but she realised it was just a cheap shot by some of the press."

While Todd does have some previous - he was shown the door at Bolton and Charlton after two off-the-field bust-ups - he insists he's now a reformed character.

"As I say, I'm no angel. I hold my hands up to those and I was punished.

"But I genuinely believe I have matured as a player, especially after Mark Hughes gave me the captaincy at Blackburn.

"With all of those I've reacted to something. I should have counted to 10 but I didn't. But I never set out to intimidate or bully. I'm a defender and I'll get penalised and sent off.

"But I'm not a thug. A thug is someone who beats up an old lady. Not someone who reacts. But I'll never give anyone an easy game. I want to win."