A football fan has told how he thought he was going to be killed when a gang of 10 thugs attacked him after a match.
Darren Manson had to undergo a four-hour operation to piece his face back together, with metal plates and screws inserted to repair his shattered jaw.
He also lost three teeth in the vicious assault last Friday night.
Hearts fan Darren, 22, was attacked as he walked to Motherwell train station with his mum Nicky after watching his team beat the Lanarkshire side 2-1 in the Betfred Cup.
Yobs approached the pair as they walked through an underpass in the town’s Windmillhill Street and began shouting abuse about Hearts.
In an exclusive interview with the Record, window fabricator Darren, from Falkirk, said: “We were walking towards the train station and had just gone down the stairs when they started yelling abuse at us.
“They started attacking me and punching and kicking my face and body. My mum was begging them to stop and trying her best to get them off me when an older guy came from behind me and punched me incredibly hard in the face. I fell to the ground and had blood pouring from my mouth.
“They could have killed me and I want to see them brought to justice for what they put us through.”
Doctors have told Darren he could be left with permanent nerve damage.
Nicky, 45, said: “They were obviously out looking for trouble and we happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“It’s disgusting to think that people are capable of such horrible violence on complete strangers.”
Police are investigating the incident and reviewing CCTV.
