Liverpool youngster, 17 - who punched Man United rival - is handed 5-match ban

A Liverpool academy player who was caught punching a Manchester United youngster in the face – before later elbowing him – has been banned by the FA.

Footage of the encounter in January showed how Liverpool defender Luca Furnell-Gill lashed out in the Under 18 Premier League match at Ethan Wheatley, with the incident going unpunished by the referee.

In a jam-packed game that saw United win 4-3 at Carrington, the ugly incident occurred shortly before United scored their second equaliser.

With United on the attack, Wheatley tried to obstruct Furnell-Gill's attempts to close down his team-mate, but as they collided, the Liverpool player sucker-punched him before continuing his run.

A shocked Wheatley stayed on his feet but clutched his face with the referee failing to award a free-kick for the offence.

United's staff on the touchline were livid with the punch but United starlet Jayce Fitzgerald made sure they didn't squander the opportunity as he put the ball in the back of the net moments after the incident.

But the ugly scenes didn't end there with the pair having another coming together later on in the match.

More footage showed how Furnell-Gill had his back to the United forward, before he threw an elbow into 18-year-old Wheatley's face.

An angry Wheatley then responded to the strike, as he pushed the Liverpool defender in retaliation with Furnell-Gill somehow escaping a red card for both events.

And, according to The Mirror, Furnell-Gill was handed a five-match ban by the FA for his actions after he admitted a disciplinary charge.

The centre back - who has played eight times for the Reds in the Under 18 Premier League this season - has been absent for their past four games, with these believed to be part of the suspension.

Meanwhile, a report in the Liverpool ECHO explained how Liverpool addressed the matter internally, with Furnell-Gill expressing remorse for his actions post-game.

Liverpool academy director Alex Inglethorpe is also said to have contacted his counterparts at Man United the morning after the game to apologise.

At the time, fans were quick to react to the incident on X, insisting the Liverpool youngster should be retrospectively banned.

One person wrote: 'Actually disgusting, Liverpool should be looking into this (it's) not right for this to happening.'

Another added: 'Hope the right people see this and he is banned,' before a third added: 'This should result in a long ban!!!'

Furnell-Gill joined Liverpool from Preston North End at U15s level and hails from Steeton, Yorkshire.

United starlet Wheatley has five goals to his name in the U18 Premier League this season, including one in the grudge match against the Reds back on January 30.

Wheatley scored United's first on the night, while Fitzgerald, Ethan Williams and James Scanlon were also on the scoresheet.

Meanwhile, Trent Kone-Doherty, Kieran Morrison and Michael Laffey were the scorers for the Reds.

Since the fiery clash, United have continued to dominate the Under 18 Premier League, having won 15 out of 17 matches.

They have a 13-point lead over their rivals Manchester City, who are second, while Liverpool sit in third, 20 points adrift of United.