PAOLO Di Canio has threatened to axe Wes Foderingham if the Town goalkeeper does not openly apologise for what his manager viewed as arrogance and ignorance during the 4-1 defeat at Preston.

Foderingham was at fault for the first Lilywhites goal, hesitating over a clearance which then rebounded off Stuart Beavon into the path of Akpo Sodje to score.

After 22 minutes of the game, with Swindon 2-0 down, Di Canio hauled his keeper off the pitch – replacing him with teenager Leigh Bedwell. Foderingham would later choose not to sit in the dug-out but take a place in the stands during the second period.

In his post-match interview, Di Canio launched into vehement criticism of Foderingham for his performance on and off the pitch, culminating in an extraordinary threat against the man who has kept 28 clean sheets in 47 games for the Robins.

When asked why he withdrew Foderingham so early, the Town boss said: “Because he was one of the worst players I have ever seen in a football match. He is a player like the others. “Why can’t we change the goalkeeper? Is the goalkeeper is an element who plays on with another team because he has a different colour on his shirt? I know my players, I know Wes – he was the crappy player even against Stoke.

“Today what he did, it’s not only the mistake that can happen to everyone. The arrogance later, when he started moaning to the others, that was the worst thing for me because it let me realise that a player doesn’t recognise his mistakes that was clear miles away, that was a rubbish mistake.

“I said to him ‘now calm because we have to keep going’, we give the ball straight away to them and then start again moaning to the others.

“Today he started behaving as the worst professional; arrogant, ignorant in some way – not as a person, as an athlete – I have ever seen.

“If he doesn’t come out and say sorry to the fans, for the professionalism in general, he is out from my team. I don’t want any argument from the fans ‘we play Oxford, we have a season’ - no.

“I don’t mind because this is my rules and Bedwell did very, very well. Maybe he behaved like this because the window’s closed. Another question mark.

“I’m ready to bring in a goalkeeper. I’m ready to ask my chairman if he doesn’t go out and say sorry to everybody because this has to come from the stomach and from the heart.

“If he doesn’t think he made a mistake in the way he behaved he has to think who he is? Cech?

“He was nothing until the day he joined me, not the club but me. He didn’t have one second as a professional, nobody wanted him because he’s 181cm. In English football everybody want 199 like the f***ing Preston goalkeeper.

“He should have his career cut and you know that is true, but just because we believed in him and there is no importance in that because he is very good – thanks to him because he did well last year – he forgot everything. He is arrogant, he’s still 20. He thinks he’s untouchable. “