Ross McCormack: Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce won’t be getting apology from Nottingham Forest loanee over gate incident

ROSS McCORMACK has insisted he will never apologise to Steve Bruce over ‘Gate-gate’.

Striker McCormack is furious to have been named and shamed by the Aston Villa boss after missing training last month.

Bruce blasted Mac for his excuse — that the electric gates at his house were stuck and he could not get out — and said he would pick him again only if he said sorry.

But McCormack, who left Villa by sealing a deadline-day loan move to Nottingham Forest, said: “We’ve had a disagreement but apologising?

“Nobody at the club has apologised to me for talking about my private life. What can I say? ‘Sorry for not jumping over the fence’?

“I don’t think I should apologise for that day. The story is true — but not because I wanted a day off training. One day I was late. One day I missed sick.”

The Scot, 30, feels he is wrongly being portrayed as a bad influence behind the scenes at Villa Park.

He is angry club owner Dr Tony Xia posted a tweet referring to the player’s personal life — and rubbished Bruce’s claim that he should have climbed the fence as it was only 4ft 6in high.

The 5ft 9in McCormack said: “I’m big enough to know it sounds ludicrous — ‘I can’t get to training because my electric gate is broken’.

“And let’s put another thing to bed when it comes to talk the fence is only 4ft 6in. It’s as tall as I am, probably taller. I could’ve climbed it but made the decision not to.

“I know what would’ve happened had I jumped over the fence and turned my ankle. But I’m surprised at the other stuff that followed — ‘he’s not professional,’ ‘he’s a bad egg’, ‘doesn’t work with his team-mates,’ ‘he causes trouble’. “It’s nonsense. I didn’t meet the manager. He pulled up outside my house and he was there for three or four seconds.

“He looked at the gate and the fence, then drove away. People were talking about him jumping over and us having a fight in the driveway! That’s ludicrous.”

Villa face Forest tomorrow but McCormack cannot play against his parent club.

A proposed £50millon US takeover of Forest collapsed last month — but yesterday the lawyer involved said his clients still want a deal.

Trevor Watkins, who insists he does not know why club owner Fawaz Al Hasawi pulled the plug, said: “They clearly got to love the club.

“They ate fish and chips in the carpark, the fans didn’t know who they were. They invested over £1m, met managers. They loaned substantial sums to the club.”