Liverpool defender involved in astonishing 'biting' incident after red card controversy

Liverpool defender involved in astonishing 'biting' incident after red card controversy

Liverpool defender Owen Beck was bitten during altercation that saw him sent off for Blackburn Rovers at Preston North End on Sunday

Owen Beck of Blackburn Rovers clashes with Milutin Osmajic of Preston North End during the Sky Bet Championship match at Deepdale on September 22 2024 (Image: Sky Sports )

Liverpool loanee Owen Beck was seemingly bitten during a fiery end to the Lancashire derby that saw him sent off playing for Blackburn Rovers at Preston North End. Beck, who is on a season-long loan at Blackburn, was given his marching orders two minutes from the end of the goalless draw in the Championship on Sunday after an altercation with Preston midfielder Duane Holmes.

However, during the melee that followed, television footage appeared to show the 22-year-old being bitten on the back of the neck by Preston's Montenegro international Milutin Osmajic.

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Beck protested to the referee Matt Donohue and his assistant on the pitch that he had been bitten before he was dismissed, and held further conversations with the officials after the game.

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And Blackburn boss John Eustace later claimed Beck had been on the receiving end of a bite from Osmajic, who now faces the prospect of a lengthy suspension.

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"Obviously that's what happens in local derbies, emotions get very high," said Eustace. "You can see from the television pictures that the kid has taken a big chunk out of his neck. That's part of being in the derby, I suppose.

"(Owen) said he was sent off for the tackle, he's tried to kick the ball away and the lad has made a big scene of it. It's a harsh one, we are disappointed to have now lost him for three games. We just have to make sure Owen is okay now."

Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom said: "I've just been told that there was a claim of a bite from Mili. We'll have to see what happens regarding that.

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"We don't want biting on the football pitch, that's not allowed. That's an easy one to address."

In April 2013, Luis Suarez was banned for 10 games by the Football Association for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic while playing for Liverpool. He was then suspended for four months the following summer after similarly chomping at Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini while representing Uruguay at the World Cup.

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