Toffees Teammates Give Applause to Idrissa Gueye Following Apology for Michael Keane Incident
Idrissa Gueye received a round of applause from his Everton teammates after delivering an apology for his extraordinary red card during the recent victory at Old Trafford.
Unprecedented Incident in Premier League
Gueye earned the distinction of being the first Premier League player to be dismissed for striking a teammate in nearly two decades when he slapped his defensive colleague during the match. Everton's performance was heroic as they played with a man down for 85 minutes, including added time, to achieve David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.
'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' Gueye stated on social media. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'
Dressing Room Reaction
Gueye did not get an opportunity to converse with Moyes or his colleagues at half-time. Afterwards, with the away dressing room celebrating after the narrow victory, the veteran asked to address the whole team and Keane specifically.
- He expressed regret to Keane for striking him across the head
- The heated early confrontation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own defensive third
- Additionally he said sorry to the team for putting them with a difficult challenge
- His apology were warmly received by the players
Potential Ramifications
Gueye could still be disciplined by the club despite Moyes' admission that he likes his team members fighting with each other. Moyes has a regular disciplinary procedure for red and yellow cards, including fines, which is likely to be implemented in Gueye's case.
Ban and National Team Duty
Everton could be without their key midfielder until the January. The Senegalese international will complete a three-match ban against Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Forest but could be selected for Africa Cup of Nations duty by his national team before he becomes eligible to play against the Blues on 13 December.
'Passions can sometimes overflow,' Gueye continued. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'
Opposition Perspective
Meanwhile, the Manchester United defender claimed United of showing no immediacy in the recent defeat, which ended their winning streak at five games.
- 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' said the Dutch defender
- 'We were missing the necessary intensity to find the net'
- 'Against a team like Everton,' who drop back it becomes challenging
The Red Devils head to Crystal Palace for the weekend noon kickoff. 'The next game is really important now,' commented De Ligt. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'