WATFORD manager Nigel Pearson once fought off a pack of GREY WOLVES while trekking in the mountains in Transylvania.

The incredible tale was revealed on Peter Crouch’s Radio 5 Live podcast this week as he discussed where footballers and managers normally go on holiday.

2 Hardman Nigel Pearson is said to have fought off a pack of wolves Credit: AFP or licensors

Rather that jetting off to Ibiza, Las Vegas, the Algarve, Dubai or the Caribbean - which 38-year-old Crouchy said were the 'staple holidays' of top footballers and managers - the Watford boss was said to prefer holidays off the beaten trail.

DJ Chris Stark, in recounting the story, said that England hero Stuart Pearce told the tale of how Pearson - who was caretaker boss of the England Under-21s team in 2007 before Pearce took over the reins - fought off a pack of wolves in Romania.

He said: “I saw this story - and it came from Stuart Pearce, who had Nigel Pearson as his assistant whilst they were at England Under-21s.

“And this is an amazing story - every summer he (Pearson) used to go away on his own on a walking holiday.

"One year he went to Transylvania and was warned if he goes walking in the mountains that there are wolves and bears.

“And apparently - and I can imagine Pearson going through this - he got surrounded by a pack of wolves.

"He backed himself up to a hedge to stop them getting behind him and then he gouged one of their eye's out, broke another wolf’s jaw and then managed to escape.”

Crouch responded: “That’s incredible.”

When asked if he thought Pearson really had ‘battled wolves’, Crouchy said: “I wouldn’t put is past him…(but) isn’t it Dracula you have to worry about there?

“He's gone on a walking holiday - they advised him not to and he’s done it, got surrounded by wolves...but it sounds mad doesn’t it?”

Chris Stark said he reckoned that Pearson had told the Watford players the story - leaving them terrified of him - helping them go undefeated since December 14.

He said: “What he’s done is walk into the Watford dressing room, recounted that story and ever since then they’ve won everything.”

Tom Fordyce piped up: “And Isaac Success has sh*t himself."

Crouchy said: “Do you reckon he said that when they were playing Wolves?”

Speaking previously about the incident, Pearson confirmed he had fought five grey wolves, but didn't say exactly how he had fought them off - breaking the jaw of one of them and gouging another's eye.

2 Nigel Pearson gouged one wolf's eye out and broke another's jaw Credit: Alamy

He said on a Sky Sports documentary five years ago: "There was five of them - what they do is that one goes for you and the others circle around until one of them can bring you down - what they essentially do is rip the throat out.”

He said he initially threw himself into a patch of brambles hoping they would leave him alone, but then defended himself by using his walking poles and brute strength, but didn't go into details.

He said: "I backed myself against a tree - I thought ‘I don’t want to get attacked from behind’. I was absolutely goosed by this point."

Speaking on TalkSport last month, Stuart Pearce confirmed the story, saying: “Every summer he (Pearson) used to go away on his own on a walking holiday.

“One year he went to Transylvania. Got the train and went out to Transylvania and was warned if he goes walking in the mountains there are wolves and bears that type of thing.

“He got surrounded by a pack of wolves, this is a true story, backed himself up to a hedge to stop them getting behind him and gouged one of their eyes out and broke another’s jaw and managed to get away.

“He said if they managed to get behind him they would have killed him.”

Pearson is known to go on solo hiking holidays and has previously been backpacking around India as well as the Carpathian mountains in Transylvania, where he tangled with wolves.