Jacob Mellis hopes to get Manchester City running for cover

EXPLOSIVE ... Jacob Mellis

JACOB MELLIS hopes to get Manchester City running for cover today — without repeating the explosive antics that got him chucked out of Chelsea.

The Barnsley midfielder was shown the door at Stamford Bridge a year ago after the club took a dim view of a prank where he set off a smoke grenade.

Those ‘grenades’ are normally used on paintball expeditions. But after Mellis set one off in the reserve-team changing rooms it caused a full-scale evacuation from Chelsea’s training ground and they reacted by terminating his contract.

Mellis, 22, insisted: “I wouldn’t say it’s something I’ve really had to recover from — I’ve just had to move on. I don’t think I’ve paid for it.

“People will look at what happened and say whatever, but I don’t think I was ever going to play for Chelsea’s first team week in and week out. There have been no other incidents since then, so I’m just concentrating on my football now.”