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Fellaini apologises for Shawcross headbutt

Marouane Fellaini could yet be banned by the FA © PA Photos

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Marouane Fellaini has apologised for headbutting Ryan Shawcross during Everton's 1-1 draw at Stoke.

The Belgium international is likely to face retrospective action after his headbutt floored the Shawcross during the first half of their Premier League clash at The Britannia.

"I apologise completely to Ryan Shawcross, my team-mates and to our fans at the game," Fellaini said on Everton's official website.

"There was a lot of pushing and pulling going on inside the Stoke penalty area and I didn't feel I was getting any protection from the officials. Nevertheless I know I shouldn't have done what I did.

"I have also apologised to the manager and the staff. I have no excuses, I was disappointed with the way I was being treated and I lost my temper, which was unprofessional of me."

Fellaini's manager David Moyes said the club will accept whatever sanctions the Football Association dishes out upon reviewing the incident.

"We will take the punishment if it is given for it,'' Moyes said. "I have told him in the dressing room that it is not acceptable - I won't accept it as a manager that he does that.''

Asked how he might compensate for losing a player as influential as Fellaini to suspension should the 25-year-old be handed a ban by the FA, Moyes said: "There is no absence yet, but he is a really good player and a big part of the team, and that is why I think the biggest disappointment, if anything does happen, is that he will have let the team down.

"I only normally complain if I think we are getting hard done by and I have said a few things about how I think we have been treated by decisions recently.

"So I think if you are going to talk about it with your own team ... Today, it should have been a sending-off in the game. If the referee (Mark Halsey) had been able to see it, it should have been.''

Stoke manager Tony Pulis claimed Fellaini had in fact been guilty of three unpunished offences and referenced others he felt had been committed by different players against his team this season.

"I'll say this - David Luiz's challenge on Jon Walters (in a 1-0 defeat at Chelsea), Ciaran Clark's challenge on Glenn Whelan last week (in a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa), and then the three incidents today,'' Pulis said.

"I thought the rules were set out in stone. I like Mark Halsey and I think he's a good referee, but I don't know whether he has seen it.

"If he has seen it and not acted, then you really want to know why he has not acted. I don't think you can hide behind anything and what he (Fellaini) has done is wrong.''

Saturday's result was both Stoke and Everton's ninth Premier League draw of the campaign and they remain ninth and fourth in the table respectively.

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