Anthony Gordon has apologised to his Newcastle United teammates and Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk for the straight red card he was shown in the team's dramatic 3-2 Premier League defeat to Liverpool on Monday.
Gordon, 24, was sent off in the third minute of first-half stoppage time after the video assistant referee recommended a red card for his challenge on Van Dijk.
The tackle left the Liverpool captain with visible stud marks on his right calf.
After the final whistle, Gordon posted on his Instagram account: "I want to sincerely apologise to my teammates and the fans. My intentions were pure. I was just trying to create energy in the game and I mistimed the tackle.
"I also want to apologise to Virgil, I would never intend to tackle somebody like this on purpose. We spoke after and he knows that.
"More importantly, I'm so proud of the time I spent on the pitch and how we played tonight. The atmosphere from you all is what makes SJP so special. I love everything we stand for as a club and no more than right now.
"I'll be back and better, the same as every other setback I've ever faced. See you soon."
Gordon's premature departure was only one facet of a full-blooded encounter which was played out against the background of Liverpool's pursuit of Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.
Head coach Eddie Howe, who is awaiting news on injuries to midfielders Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, was left with mixed feelings after the most eventful of games, one which was witnessed by chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan hours after the owners reportedly met Isak for discussions over his future as the summer transfer window entered its final week.
- Liverpool, Newcastle prove there's life beyond Alexander Isak
- Howe in dark over Isak's future as Newcastle chief jets in
- Bruno Guimarães: Newcastle missing 'best player' Alexander Isak
Howe insisted he was not party to what might have been said -- the club has rejected a £110 million bid from Liverpool for Isak and have as yet been unable to find a suitable replacement for Callum Wilson, let alone the Swede -- and preferred instead to concentrate on the players who came so close to a remarkable result against the champions.
Asked about the leaders in his team, he said pointedly: "Those guys do make me proud. Their spirit and togetherness has never been in question.
"They're absolutely entwined in Newcastle. They want to be here, they want to play, they're connected to the club in a way that's really deep. You need all the players to feel that connection."
Information from PA contributed to this report