Unlikely ally for ‘daft’ Newcastle United as Roy Keane takes trip down memory lane
Roy Keane has admitted he feels sorry for Anthony Gordon following his “daft” red card against Brighton.
The Toon ace was dismissed on 83 minutes with the game hanging in the balance. Referee Anthony Taylor judged Gordon to have shoved Jan Paul van Hecke in the face - and he was sent off for violent conduct.
Attention immediately turned to the Carabao Cup final, with Gordon set to miss the monumental clash on March 16. The 24-year-old has spoken publicly about missing out on the 2023 final and his desire to deliver silverware at St James’ Park.
As it stands, Gordon is serving a three-match ban - which rules him out until Leicester City on April 7 - but Eddie Howe hinted at a possible appeal. The Toon boss claimed he had not rewatched the incident and Newcastle will make a decision in the coming days.
Speaking to ITV, former Manchester United captain Keane, who was sent off 13 times in his career, sympathised with the winger. He said: “There was an incident about maybe one or two minutes before that. It’s obviously frustrating, it’s a moment of madness.
“I do feel for him. Listen, I’ve done daft stuff on a football pitch. He’s got to take his medicine now. He’s going to be punished with the suspension. I’m not going to be too harsh on him, it’s daft, he’ll have to take his medicine.”
Keane also highlighted the importance of Brighton’s squad producing the goods from the bench - and how the defeat poses a test for the Magpies. He added: “This is the importance of the squad. We mention subs coming off the bench. Your subs have got to come on and have an impact.
“We saw Danny’s enthusiasm, he’s a player who’s won the trophy, he’s 34 now? He came on and made a difference. You see other subs sometimes, for Newcastle, they come on and it seems like a chore to them - but Danny’s professionalism shone through there.”
“The test for this group is how they recover from it. Since they got there when they beat Arsenal three weeks ago their form has not been great. Gordon gets sent off, maybe one or two injuries, this is a test for this group now.”