Premier League:Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish says the involvement of three of his players in a nightclub incident was a "slur on the club".

Fabian Delph, Chris Herd and James Collins were fined for their part in the fracas and have apologised.

McLeish said: “It’s the culture of one pint too many. I feel for (club owner) Randy Lerner and the fans but the players need to show some respect for themselves and the football club.”

Villa sit outside the Premier League relegation zone but, ahead of their match against Tottenham tomorrow, they are only three points ahead of 18th-placed Bolton.

The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday after Villa’s player of the year awards on Monday night.

McLeish said the players’ actions had reflected badly “on Randy Lerner, the club, myself and, most importantly, themselves”, but insisted the matter had been dealt with by the club.

“It’s a slur on the club,” he added. “I think the most important thing is that they’ve been punished and they’ve shown a bit of humility, which is the least we can expect.”