Toffees Teammates Applaud Idrissa Gueye Following Apology for Keane Slap

The Everton midfielder was given a warm ovation from his Everton teammates after issuing an apology for his extraordinary red card during the recent victory at Manchester United.

Unprecedented Incident in Premier League

The midfielder became the first Premier League player to be sent off for hitting a teammate in nearly two decades when he slapped his defensive colleague during the fixture. Everton's display was heroic as they played with a man down for the majority of the game, including added time, to achieve David Moyes' first win at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.

'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' he wrote on social media. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Dressing Room Response

Gueye was unable to secure an opportunity to converse with Moyes or his colleagues at half-time. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old asked to speak to the whole team and Keane in particular.

• He expressed regret to Keane for striking him across the head
• The heated early confrontation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own defensive third
• Additionally he said sorry to the squad for leaving them with a monumental task
• Gueye's words were warmly received by the squad

Potential Consequences

The 36-year-old may yet be punished by Everton despite Moyes' statement that he appreciates his team members competing with each other. Moyes has a regular punishment process for red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is expected to be implemented in this situation.

Ban and National Team Duty

Everton could be without their key midfielder until the January. The Senegalese international will serve a three-match suspension against Newcastle United, AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but might be selected for Africa Cup of Nations duty by his national team before he becomes eligible to play against Chelsea on 13 December.

'Emotions can run high,' Gueye continued. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'

Rival Reaction

At the same time, the Manchester United defender accused his team of showing no immediacy in the recent loss, which ended their winning streak at five games.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' stated the Dutch defender
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' who drop back it's difficult

The Red Devils travel to Crystal Palace for the weekend noon kickoff. 'Our upcoming match is absolutely crucial,' commented the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'