One Liverpool youngster will now face a lengthy suspension after admitting to a disciplinary charge arising from a match earlier this year.
When the Reds’ under-18s lost 4-3 to their Manchester United counterparts in late January, the game was overshadowed by an incident which saw Luca Furnell-Gill aiming a punch at Ethan Wheatley, also appearing to throw an elbow during a later altercation between the two players.
The on-field referee didn’t take disciplinary action that night but the fracas led to a violent conduct charge from the Football Association that the 17-year-old has now accepted, in the process being hit by a five-match suspension, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
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The incident involving Furnell-Gill certainly wasn’t a pretty one, and in truth we’d have been fuming had it happened the other way around.
However, it’s claimed by the Liverpool Echo that the teenager ‘was extremely contrite’ afterwards, with the club addressing the matter internally and Academy director Alex Inglethorpe contacting United the next morning to apologise.
Most importantly, there was no lasting damage caused to Wheatley, who’s since played and scored for the Red Devils’ under-18 side (Transfermarkt).
Furnell-Gill and Liverpool will take the five-match ban on the chin, and the Reds defender will learn from it as he continues his progress through the underage ranks.