‘I drove to hospital with bullet in my head’

NEW Hibs star Jorge Claros today told of the terrifying carjacking attack in his home country – and how he had to drive himself to hospital despite being shot in the head.

The Honduran midfield star, nicknamed Pitbull, spoke about the high-profile attack to the Evening News for the first time since joining the Easter Road club.

He and his wife were pounced on by two gunmen last June as they dropped off a friend in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula.

The 26-year-old was shot twice, but despite having bullets embedded in his head and left shoulder, the player managed to drive himself to a nearby hospital, where his injuries were found not to be as serious as first feared.

Incredibly, the bullet that hit his head failed to penetrate his skull and the midfielder was back playing for his side Club Deportivo Motagua within a month.

Claros, one of eight January signings made by Easter Road boss Pat Fenlon, spoke about the attack as he prepared for Sunday’s showdown with SPL leaders Celtic and his close friend and former Motagua team-mate Emilio Izaguirre.

He said: “My wife and I were dropping off a friend in the street in the early evening when these two people came from nowhere and started shooting with a handgun.

“I don’t know who they were, I’d never seen them before. It all happened so quickly and staying alive was more important at that moment.

“I saw one bullet had hit the windscreen but I also had one stuck in my head and another in my shoulder.

“Elsa, as you can imagine, was terrified. She was in a state of shock at what had happened. I managed to drive us to a hospital. Luckily, I wasn’t seriously injured but it’s a miracle to be alive.”

Gun attacks are not uncommon in Honduras and Claros’ assailants were never traced by police.

To this day, the player doesn’t know the motive for the attack, whether it was an attempt to steal his car – a Chevrolet he had bought from Emilio Izaguirre – or on him personally as a well-known football player.

He said: I was so happy to be alive it inspired me even more to play football. I rested for 12 to 15 days and a month later I began playing football again.”

Bizarrely, the midfielder was involved in a second shooting incident last year when keeper Donaldo Morales shot a reporter with an airgun.

Claros was being grilled when Morales burst into the room and shot the journalist three times because he had criticised his performances.