Kyle Bartley is lucky to be alive after taking one in the face from Harry Maguire – or rather, Sir Alex Ferguson would probably think so.
Cast your minds back to 2012, with Swansea City taking on Manchester United and Ashley Williams winding one up before hoofing it into the head of Robin Van Persie – something that every Arsenal fan wanted to do at the time.
Sir Alex Ferguson was not at all impressed with Williams’ actions, suggesting intent and emphasising seriousness, as he is quoted doing so by the Guardian:
“He should be banned for a long time because that was the most dangerous thing I’ve seen on a football field for many years.”
“It was absolutely deliberate. The whistle has gone, the game has stopped and he has done that right in front of the referee, he could have killed the lad. It was a disgraceful act.”
It’s an iconic moment in Premier League history – but of course, only because Van Persie escaped unscathed.
We’ve cracked a smile in similar nature almost a decade on, but this time it was a Man United player doing the hoofing, rather than the receiving.
During this evening’s contest between United and West Brom at Old Trafford, Harry Maguire absolutely pelted the ball into Kyle Bartley’s face – not intentionally, that is clear this time.
Pictures courtesy of BT Sport
That looks like a sore one for Bartley, who will be counting his blessings walking away from the incident. It really could have ended badly for him on another day, just ask Sir Alex.
Maguire has been having one of those seasons, both on and off the pitch. Thankfully, he’s not going to be spending the night in a jail cell. They’re not as cosy as they are in Greece…