Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye has issued a heartfelt apology after receiving a straight red card for slapping his own teammate, Michael Keane, during Everton’s 1–0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The incident occurred just 13 minutes into Monday night’s clash. After Keane criticised Gueye for a careless pass, the midfielder confronted the defender and struck him in the face, prompting referee Tony Harrington to send him off immediately.
Despite going down to ten men, Everton rallied impressively, securing victory with a stunning goal from Dewsbury-Hall and holding firm until the final whistle.
Gueye, 36, took full responsibility for his actions in an Instagram post, writing: “I want to apologise first to my team-mate 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. Emotions can run high, but nothing justifies such behaviour. I’ll make sure it never happens again.”
Everton manager David Moyes offered a surprising perspective, admitting he “likes his players fighting” when standards slip. “If nothing happened, I don’t think anyone in the stadium would have been surprised,” he said. “I thought the referee could have taken a bit longer to think about it. But if you want toughness and resilience, you want someone to act on it.”
Moyes confirmed Gueye has apologised internally and expressed gratitude to the squad for securing the win.
