Republic of Ireland midfielder Ruesha Littlejohn has admitted her regret after she was shown a red card during Crystal Palace Women’s League Cup clash with Leicester City, after an incident involving Hannah Cain.
Littlejohn had until yesterday to respond to the FA’s charge of violent conduct and is set to discover the outcome of a disciplinary hearing in the next few days.
The 35-year-old was sitting in a press conference on Friday alongside Republic of Ireland boss Carla Ward, who blasted the “disgusting” abuse aimed at her midfielder since the incident happened.
Why was Ruesha Littlejohn sent off?
Ruesha Littlejohn was shown a straight red card after throwing Hannah Cain down to the ground during Sunday’s League Cup clash.
It all started when Leicester’s Olivia McLoughlin got tangled with Crystal Palace’s Annabel Blanchard, with Cain stepping in between the pair.
This was when Littlejohn stepped in, giving a shove to Cain, who responded with a push in the back of the Ireland midfielder.
Littlejohn reacted furiously, appearing to grab Cain around her head, and doing what some on social media described as a “WWE-style takedown” on the Leicester player.
The 35-year-old was sent off, but Crystal Palace ultimately held on to take a 3-0 victory.
Littlejohn, though, is facing an extended ban from the FA, meaning she could face longer than the typical three-match ban for violent conduct.
What did Ruesha Littlejohn say about the Hannah Cain incident?
Speaking to the media, Littlejohn said: “Obviously, I regret letting my emotions spill over on the pitch.
“I’m quite an emotional person and player. That’s not who I want to be on the pitch, so I will learn from it and move forward.
“Obviously, I’ve been working with my team and hopefully it’s all dealt with properly and it’s fairly dealt with, but I can’t say too much on that right now. I don’t want to harm the process.”
The Irish midfielder added that she was glad to be “surrounded by good people” on international duty and has received a “lot of support” since the incident.
Carla Ward blasts “disgusting” abuse at Ruesha Littlejohn
Ward came to the defence of the Ireland star, insisting that the abuse she had received on social media was “disgraceful”.
The Ireland manager said: “She’s a human being. She’s someone’s daughter and sister. It’s not okay.
“I look at Ruesha, and it’s not just because I’ve got a long-standing relationship with her. Some of the stuff I’ve seen this week has been disgusting.”
Ward added that social media is getting “worse and worse” and called on social media companies to “do better”.
Her comments come after England’s Keira Walsh said the majority of WSL players have received online abuse.
