(Picture: Action Images via Reuters)
Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has said Neil Taylor is ‘desperately sorry’ for his tackle that broke the leg of Everton and Republic of Ireland defender Seamus Coleman.
In a fiery goalless draw in Dublin last Friday, Wales and Villa left-back Taylor recklessly tackled Coleman, leaving the Irishman requiring surgery on his fibula and tibia after the game and facing a lengthy spell out injured.
Taylor was given a straight red-card and Wales manager Chris Coleman said he was “despondent” after the incident, and Bruce has said he is still struggling with the extent of his actions.
The Villa boss told BBC West Midlands.”He’s deeply disappointed – no-one wants to see a fellow professional badly injured.
“I’ve only been working with him for a month and he’s desperately sorry for what’s happened – all our thoughts at Villa are with Seamus.
“Unfortunately these things happen – you get caught up in the heat of the battle and the pace of the game is ferocious, especially at international level.”
Taylor suffered his own bad injury while playing for Swansea, fracturing his ankle at the beginning of the 2012 season, and after bouncing back from that, Bruce believes he will have to get over the incident with Coleman quickly too.
Bruce said: “That’s the big thing Neil will have to face himself – when you’re in the flow of the game and go into a tackle, you don’t think about it.
“Only Neil can answer that and once he gets over it and gets back playing, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
