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Joleon Lescott has hit back at his online critics by daring one to meet him at Aston Villa 's training ground today.

The Villa defender and his team-mates at the Premier League's bottom club have received enormous flak for their dire displays this term.

It peaked after a 6-0 home loss to Liverpool on Sunday when Lescott tweeted a picture of a flash Mercedes within an hour of the final whistle.

The Tweet enraged fans and the star soon apologised for the side's performance and claimed the picture was sent “accidentally” while he was driving with his phone in his pocket.

But the former England defender, 33, lost his cool last night in the face of an aggressive personal slur online by hitting back on his j.p.lescott Instagram account.

A message told another user : “I'm at the training ground tomorrow. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come down and try. FACT YOU WONT.”

It is the latest controversy the star has embroiled himself in after a verbal spat with Villa fans at League Two Wycombe in the FA Cup last month.

The defender, signed from West Brom last summer for £2million, was interested in a January move to USA to link up with pal Robbie Keane at LA Galaxy, who were offering him a three-year deal.

After growing up a Villa fan, Lescott initially expressed his delight at finally joining his boyhood club last summer.

But the move has turned sour with Villa doomed to relegation under boss Remi Garde.

Lescott was widely criticised and ridiculed for his car tweet after Villa's biggest home loss in 81 years with pundits like striker Stan Collymore weighing in.

(Image: Michael Steele) (Image: Getty Images)

The defender added on Instagram: “That Tweet got more press than our performance. That div Stan Collymore getting involved like he never made a mistake, he's a complete tool.”

Lescott was asked why he hasn't deleted the picture of the Mercedes from his Twitter account.

He replied: “Why delete it? It happened so I've gotta deal with it. Shall I just delete Sunday's game No it happened so I have gotta deal with it.”