Everton Teammates Applaud Gueye After Sincere Apology for Keane Incident
The Everton midfielder was given a warm ovation from his fellow squad members after delivering an explanation for his extraordinary dismissal during the recent triumph at Manchester United.
Rare Incident in Premier League
Gueye became the initial Premier League player to be sent off for striking a teammate in nearly two decades when he slapped Michael Keane during the match. Everton's display was remarkable as they played with 10 men for 85 minutes, including added time, to achieve David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a away coach in multiple tries.
'My first apology goes to Michael Keane,' Gueye stated on his accounts. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'
Team Response
Gueye was unable to secure an opportunity to converse with Moyes or his teammates at the interval. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old asked to address the whole team and the defender in particular.
- Gueye apologized to the defender for striking him across the face
- The heated early confrontation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own defensive third
- He also said sorry to the team for putting them with a monumental task
- Gueye's words were positively accepted by the players
Possible Consequences
The 36-year-old could still be punished by Everton despite Moyes' statement that he likes his players competing with each other. Moyes has a regular disciplinary procedure for red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is likely to be implemented in this situation.
Ban and National Team Duty
Everton could be without their key player until the new year. Gueye will serve a three-game ban against Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Forest but could be selected for Africa Cup of Nations responsibilities by Senegal before he becomes eligible to play against the Blues on mid-December.
'Passions can sometimes overflow,' Gueye continued. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'
Opposition Perspective
Meanwhile, Mathijs de Ligt accused United of showing no immediacy in Monday's defeat, which halted their unbeaten run at five games.
- 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' said the Netherlands international
- 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
- 'Against a team like Everton,' who drop back it becomes challenging
United travel to Selhurst Park for the weekend noon kickoff. 'The next game is really important now,' commented De Ligt. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'
