Forgotten Liverpool star sent off for bizarre incident during under-21s match

A forgotten Liverpool star was sent off following a bizarre incident in a recent under-21s fixture.

A lot has changed at Liverpool since Jurgen Klopp became manager in 2015, not least the personnel and success of the team on the pitch.

That said, there is one figure from before Klopp's tenure who is now back at Anfield, albeit in a different capacity.

Jay Spearing left Liverpool two years before the German manager arrived, but he returned to the club in 2022 in a player-coach role with the under-21s team.

Spearing is a product of Liverpool's academy, and spent five years on the club's senior books between 2008 and 2013 before turning out for the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool and Tranmere Rovers.

At his peak he earned a reputation as a no-nonsense midfielder, and the 35-year-old reminded fans of that on Sunday when he was sent off while playing for the under-21s.

Liverpool drew 0-0 with Reading in the Premier League Two, but only after goalkeeper Fabian Mrozek saved a last-minute penalty.

The spot-kick was awarded when Spearing palmed a goal-bound effort off the goal line, earning himself a straight red card as well as comparisons to former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.

The Uruguayan infamously denied Ghana a certain goal during a quarter-final clash at the 2010 World Cup, with Uruguay going on to progress to the semi-finals.

Spearing was brought back to Liverpool so that the club's youngsters could benefit from his wealth of experience playing at the top level.

While handling the ball on the goal line is not an example of great sportsmanship, Liverpool fans saw the funny side of it.

"Jay Spearing getting sent off while playing for the academy is unexplainably funny to me," one fan wrote on X following Sunday's dismissal.

Another said: "Gotta teach the kids life lessons."