Idrissa Gueye was applauded by his Everton teammates after apologising for his extraordinary red card during their 1–0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The midfielder became the first Premier League player in 17 years to be sent off for striking a teammate after slapping Michael Keane during a heated 13th-minute altercation that followed Gueye’s misplaced pass inside his own penalty area. Despite playing with 10 men for more than 85 minutes, Everton produced a heroic display to secure a famous victory.
After the match, Gueye asked to address the squad and personally apologised to Keane, as well as the rest of the team, for leaving them in a difficult position. His apology was warmly received, with teammates responding with a round of applause.
Although manager David Moyes joked that he “likes my players fighting each other”, Everton are still expected to fine Gueye under the club’s standard disciplinary procedures.
The 36-year-old is set to miss the next three matches due to suspension and could also leave for Africa Cup of Nations duty with Senegal before becoming eligible again in mid-December.
Gueye also issued a public apology on social media, accepting full responsibility and promising the incident would never happen again.
