‘Anger has grown further’ for Everton player – ‘Insistent’ he wants out within days

Michael Keane, the player who earlier this season saw Everton team-mate Idrissa Gueye sent off for slapping him at Manchester United, suffered a red card that in some ways was even stranger as he was given his marching orders for pulling an opponent’s hair. Keane’s night had started impressively as he despatched an instinctive finish for his third goal of the campaign to fire the Blues ahead against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Premier League’s bottom club, but an opponent who arrived on the back of their first win in the competition all season, at the 20th attempt. Most people at Hill Dickinson Stadium, including referee Thomas Kirk, in just his second Premier League match, didn’t spot Keane’s offence, in an aerial duel with Tolu Arokodare in real time, but over 200 miles away at Stockley Park, Everton’s old pal Chris Kavanagh on VAR duty was more eagle-eyed and sent Kirk to his pitchside monitor. Keane, who could be seen mouthing the words ‘oh my God,’ as the footage was being played back, was duly given an early bath for what was deemed to be ‘violent conduct.’ It’s strange that given that this correspondent’s primary school teacher used to perform similar gestures on small children during assemblies when it was their birthday. But what was acceptable in the 1980s – both on and off the football pitch – doesn’t always wash these days and if it was a deliberate act then it was reckless. The same goes for Jack Grealish following Keane off for a couple of quickfire bookings, leaving David Moyes’ men to cling on for a point with just nine men.