Gary Neville piles into shocking Everton player during draw against Manchester United
By Alex Stevens
Gary Neville slammed goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg for his howler in Everton’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United on Sunday.
The Dutchman was at fault for Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first-half goal in the Premier League clash at Goodison Park.
Stekelenburg came racing out of his goal after 43 minutes as Ibrahimovic ran on to a long ball from Antony Martial but the keeper was beaten to it by the striker, who lobbed the ball – via crossbar and post – over his former Ajax teammate and into the net.
Sky Sports pundit Neville was highly critical of the rush of blood from the Everton No1.
“Stekelenburg did not need to come off his line, he didn’t need to get involved, it is madness goalkeeping, shocking,” Neville told Sky Sports 1’s live coverage of the match. “What is he doing? It has cost his team.”
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Ibrahimovic’s goal was his fourth in three Premier League matches and his eighth in 13 games in the competition this season.
In all competitions, the 35-year-old striker has scored 12 goals in his first season at United following his summer switch from Paris Saint-Germain.
However, United were unable to hold on to their first-half advantage, as ex-Everton midfielder conceded a late penalty when he hauled down Idrissa Gueye in the penalty box.
Leighton Baines stepped up to slot the ball past David De Gea to level the score and ensure the points were shared at Goodison Park.
In other Everton news, the club are at the centre of a January transfer scramble for a Premier League player with the release clause set at £25million.