Idrissa Gueye received a round of applause from the Everton squad after apologising for his extraordinary 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 when slapping Michael Keane at Old Trafford.
Everton performed heroically with 10 men for 85 minutes to hand David Moyes his first win at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in 18 attempts. After the 1-0 win, Gueye asked to address the entire group and Keane specifically, apologising for the slap and for leaving the team with a monumental task.
Gueye also issued an apology on social media, stating: “I want to apologise first to Michael Keane. 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.”
The 36-year-old could still be disciplined by Everton despite Moyes’ admission that he “likes my players fighting each other”. 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.
