Jim McAlister has spoken out against Dundee United’s Nadir Ciftci for refusing to admit he bit him during the last derby of the season two weeks ago.
The Dundee midfielder, who is currently weighing up a contract extension with the Dark Blues, admits he would have forgiven the Tangerines striker if he had held his hands up and admitted his guilt.
Dundee have backed their player to the hilt while United have also thrown their weight behind Ciftci with the SFA currently investigating the alleged incident.
Now though McAlister has broken his silence on the matter, saying at the weekend: “We probably wouldn’t have to go through all of this if Ciftci had just apologised, whether it was at full-time, a day later or a week later.
“It’s now going to be a long drawn-out process with the SFA. But if he was big enough to admit he was wrong and that he’d make a mistake, I’d shake his hand.
“I’d say, ‘No problem’, wish him luck for the rest of his career and get on with mine. But that hasn’t happened and because my allegation has been staunchly denied by him and United, we now find ourselves in this position.
“That’s why I felt I had to come out and put my side of the story across.
“I’ve remained tight-lipped until now to try and allow the SFA to get on with the investigation. The last thing I wanted was for this issue to drag on.
“But I now feel it’s the right time to come out and tell people exactly what happened. It’s important for people to know the truth.
“When I saw the Dundee United statement defending Ciftci, I was flabbergasted.
“I can rest at night knowing I’ve not told any lies. But can they? I’m not sure. If that’s the route they want to go down, so be it.”