Leicester boss Nigel Pearson calls reporter an 'ostrich' in strange rant

Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson called a reporter an 'ostrich' , after accusing the scribe of having his head in the sand, in a bizarre rant.

The confrontation with reporter Ian Baker resulted in the City boss walking out of the press conference early. Chelsea had just beaten City 3-1, almost certainly securing the Premier League title.

Pearson had said that it was "difficult ... for the players to have to deal with the amount of criticism and negativity" they had endured during the season. When questioned about specific criticism, that's when things got a bit weird.

"Have you been on holiday for six months? Have you been away for six months?" said Pearson.

"I think you must have either your head in the clouds, or been away on holiday, or reporting on a different team, because if you don't know the answer to that question . . your question is absolutely unbelievable, the fact you do not understand where I am coming from. If you don't know the answer to that question then I think you are an ostrich. Your head must be in the sand. Is your head in the sand? Are you flexible enough to get your head in the sand? My suspicion would be no," he continued.

"I can, you can't. You can't. Listen you have been here often enough and for you to ask that question, you are either being very, very silly or you are being absolutely stupid, one of the two because for you to ask that question, I am sorry, son, you are daft."

Baker, seemingly not content with the ear-bashing so far, then said outright that there had not been much harsh criticism of players.

"You are wrong. No, you are wrong," said Pearson. "You have been in here, I know you have so don't give that crap with me, please don't give that crap with me. I will smile at you because I can afford to smile at you. Now do you want to ask a different question or do you want to ask it differently. Come on, ask it. Ask it or are you not capable?"

After some childish mimicking of Baker's voice, Baker said that he didn't know how Pearson had taken the initial question, prompting Pearson to call Baker "stupid" and then leave.