Watford defender Miguel Britos has apologised to the Vicarage Road faithful for the horror tackle which saw him dismissed against Brighton. The Uruguayan saw red in the 24th minute for his two-footed lunge to the knee of Anthony Knockeart.
Apologetic
In an official club release, the 32-year-old was sincerely apologetic:
‘I know I let the coach, my team-mates, the fans and everyone down and for this I am very sorry.’
The club reported that Britos ‘cut a subdued figure in training,’ following the resumption of training at the club’s London Colney training base. The uncapped Uruguayan added:
‘It was not my intention to hurt the Brighton player, and I am happy he was okay and able to carry on playing the match. I accept my punishment and I know it will be a few weeks before I can be available to play again, but I will be working hard in training so that, if selected, I am ready to help the team.’
Britos was booed by the Watford faithful as he trudged off the pitch. The red card changed the momentum of the game and put the Hornets on the back foot for large periods. Brighton’s lack of firepower meant that the visitors failed to gather more than a point.
Reputation
The former Napoli-defender came to England two years ago, with a reputation for being hot-headed. He head-butted then-Juventus forward Alvaro Morata in his last game for the Italian side. In an interview last year, he professed that he is not afraid of a physical battle.
The defender took his insubordination straight to England. His first outing for the Hornets ended with yet another dismissal. This time, he was given his marching orders after elbowing Preston’s Bailey Wright. Watford’s then-head coach, Quique Sanchez Flores, failed to select Britos for two months after the incident.
Despite his hot-headedness, his quality has never been in question, nor has his suitability to the English game. Having been forced to wait for his Premier League debut, he built a formidable partnership with Craig Cathcart in his first season at the club. Watford won six of his first eight games, keeping five clean sheets in the process. He became integral to Watford as they secured their second season of top-flight football.
Britos has under a year remaining of his Watford contract, and will have to exercise self-restraint to regain a first team spot. It would be unlikely, given his age, that the Uruguayan will extend his Hornets stay beyond 2018, and he will have to prove to his manager that he has the quality to continue.
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