Idrissa Gueye was warmly applauded by his Everton teammates after delivering an emotional apology following his red card for striking Michael Keane during Everton’s win over Manchester United.
The midfielder became the first Premier League player in 17 years to be sent off for striking a teammate after slapping Keane in the 13th minute at Old Trafford. The incident came after Gueye’s misplaced pass nearly led to a Bruno Fernandes chance. Despite playing with 10 men for almost the entire match, Everton held on for a heroic 1–0 victory.
After the match, Gueye asked to address the squad and personally apologised to Keane, as well as to the team for putting them in such a difficult position. His message was met with a round of applause in the dressing room.
Although Everton manager David Moyes joked that he “likes my players fighting each other”, Gueye could still face internal club punishment, including a fine, under the club’s disciplinary rules.
Gueye will now serve a three-match suspension against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest and could also miss further matches if selected for Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations squad.
He later issued a public apology on social media, promising that the incident does not reflect his character and that it will not happen again.
