ASHLEY Barnes said he ‘laughed off’ criticism from Jose Mourinho over his challenge with Nemanja Matic in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea last month.

The 25-year-old became headline news after he caught Matic with his follow through from a pass at Stamford Bridge, with the Serbian sent-off for his furious reaction to the incident.

While referee Martin Atkinson didn’t even penalise Barnes, and no other Chelsea players or officials reacted at the time, Mourinho accused Barnes of a ‘criminal tackle’ after the game, and then appeared on Goals on Sunday the following morning to continue his attack on the former Brighton striker.

Speaking for the first time since the incident Stamford Bridge, Barnes said: “You’re always going to get people who come out of the woodwork and voice their opinion.

“There were lots of comments made that it was a ‘criminal tackle’ and that it was disgusting but you just have to laugh it off really.

“Obviously I’ve not meant it. I give my all for my team but I’m an honest player. As I’ve gone to pass the ball he’s come to try and screen in front of the strikers.

“I’ve took a heavy touch and as I’ve gone to pass to Jonesy I’ve caught him on the shin with the follow through of the pass.

“It wasn’t intentional, of course. I would never go out on to a football pitch and try to hurt an opponent.

“But there were so many different angles and it got picked out and scrutinised to the nth degree but you just have to get on with it.

He added: “I don’t really take anything from it. All I can do is apologise that I’ve caught him in that manner.

“As you can see, nobody in the ground reacted and the next minute he came and pushed me over.

“Obviously I wouldn’t have been happy if he had caught me there but as I say I’ve not meant it and I didn’t know that I’d hurt him because it was just my momentum that took me that way.

“You take each game as it comes and I think something else has taken over it now headlines wise and I’m just focused on football now.

“You’re always going to get something like that in your life and I think that’s one for me, but I like to think I deal with these things well.”

While Barnes has broken his silence over the incident, Matic has also spoken about it for the first time, claiming he is happy because he can still walk.

“To be honest I was happy when I saw the video after the game – as it was bad,” he said. “I am happy that I can still play.

“My reaction was not good but this reaction was because I thought I broke a leg. I am a happy man because I can walk.

“I don’t like to say that I was right to react like I did. I was not right. But this was a moment when you cannot control your emotions. I saw a replay one time only – that was enough.”