Niall Horan has joked that his recent knee troubles are the result of an attack from a squirrel.

The One Direction star tweeted earlier this week that he would have to undergo surgery after damaging his knee in a football match. But in an interview with the Capital Breakfast Show, he blamed his injury on one particular rodent:

“Yeah a squirrel attacked me. So, I got attacked by a squirrel in Battersea Park. They’re dangerous. It’s rare.”

But the 19-year-old, who yesterday admitted that he was too lazy to find love, then went on to discuss the problem with his joints more seriously:

“I’ve torn most of the ligaments in my knee. So no football for me. It’s early retirement now. I’ve got a floating knee-cap!”