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“The whole time we were there, officers were getting hit with bottles.

“As we were forced back down Newton Street, I saw another of my colleagues being attacked by six or seven fans and I went to help him.

“Then a lad with a bottle threw it at me from a distance of about three or four feet and it hit me on the left elbow.

“I remember moving backwards to try and avoid being hit again but next thing I was on the floor.

“I could feel the crowd kicking me in the side but my body armour was protecting me. I could see their feet in front of me even though my head was on the floor.

“I wanted to curl up but I remember saying to myself ’I have got to get up’.”

As he tried to escape, two Rangers fans came to his aid.

Pc Regan said: “One of them shouted at me saying ’I’m British Army, I’m a medic’. He grabbed me by the collar and he propelled me up the street.

“Then one of our vans came round the corner, he threw me in the back of it and off he went. Thank God.

“I feel lucky. Whoever that army lad was, he wants a medal.”

Pc Regan suffered bruising to both arms, sore ribs and a puncture wound to the elbow.

He said: “Never in my career have I been in a situation like that. It was unbelievable.

“The fans who were coming away from the stadium were as good as gold but the people who were kicking off were drunk and out for trouble.

“I know they will say it’s a minority but a few thousand is a big minority.”

Fifteen officers were injured and a police dog injured a paw during the violence, which also saw a Russian fan stabbed inside the City of Manchester Stadium.

Eleven Rangers fans, all men, were charged with various offences - seven for public order, one with assault, one with being drunk in a sports ground and one for throwing a missile.

A further 11 Rangers supporters were bailed pending further inquiries and 12 were given cautions.

Seven men, including one Zenit fan, were released without charge.

Manchester City Council is to hold an inquiry into its handling of the day. The council relaxed its street drinking ban on the day of the game and fans were seen drinking on the streets from 7am.

Council leader Sir Richard Leese said banning alcohol would have created a “public order problem”.

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