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Liverpool’s academy star Luca Furnell-Gill has been handed a lengthy suspension after his involvement in a controversial encounter during the game against Manchester United’s U18 team.
The feisty meeting between the two rivals ended in a 4-3 win for United u18s at the end of January.
But the victory was marred in controversy with Furnell-Gill seen hitting Ethan Wheatley on two separate occasions, neither of which were penalised at the time by the referee.
The Liverpool Echo now report the Liverpool defender has been “banned for five games by the Football Association after accepting the claim of violent conduct”.
The first encounter occurred in the build up to United’s third goal of the match.
While following Wheatley in the play, Furnell-Gill jumped in the air to spin and punch the United attacker in the face.
Erupting screams could be heard from the United staff after the attack explaining that the played had been punched but both the players only received a talking to from the referee.
The encounter wasn’t done there though as the pair came to blows again later on when Furnell-Gill aimed an elbow into the face of Wheatley while tussling off the ball on the edge of the box.
Surprisingly the elbow seemed to be spotted by the assistant referee who immediately waved his flag but again nothing more than a talking to was given as a result.
The Liverpool defender has not appeared for his club since the match and is said to regret his actions.
The Liverpool Echo also added that Liverpool’s “academy director Alex Inglethorpe contacted Manchester United counterparts the morning after the game to apologise.”
Despite the controversy on the day, Wheatley still managed to score one goal as United secured the three points and continue to remain unbeaten in the league.
Wheatley didn’t let the moment get to him and has been having a very impressive season with 15 goals in all competitions, including another two goals on the weekend as United secured their place in the finals of the u18s Premier League Cup with a 5-0 demolition of Crystal Palace.
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