Senegalese professional footballer Idrissa Gueye received a round of applause from the Everton squad after apologising for slapping his teammate Michael Keane, leading to a red card in Monday’s victory at Manchester United.
The midfielder became the first Premier League player to be dismissed for striking a teammate in 17 years.
The Guardian UK reports Gueye did not get an opportunity to speak to manager Moyes or his teammates at half-time. Afterwards, with the away dressing room celebrating the 1-0 win, the Senegal defensive midfielder asked to address the entire group as well as Keane specifically.
Gueye apologised to the defender for slapping him across the face. Their heated 13th-minute altercation followed the midfielder’s misplaced pass inside his own penalty area, which presented a chance to Bruno Fernandes. He also apologised to the squad for leaving them with a monumental task at Old Trafford and thanked them for pulling it off. Gueye’s words were warmly received by the squad, who gave him a round of applause.
Penalties
Gueye will serve a three-match suspension against Newcastle, Bournemouth, and Nottingham Forest, but could be called up for Africa Cup of Nations duty by Senegal before he becomes eligible to play against Chelsea on 13 December.
Gueye also issued an apology on social media. “I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,” he wrote. “I take full responsibility for my reaction. I also apologise to my teammates, the staff, the fans and the club. What happened does not reflect who I am or the values I stand for. Emotions can run high, but nothing justifies such behaviour. I’ll make sure it never happens again.”
Everton performed heroically with 10 men for 85 minutes, stoppage time included, to hand David Moyes his first win at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in 18 attempts and deliver only the club’s second victory at United in 33 years.
