Evans: I did not mean to spit at Cisse

Jonny Evans has reiterated that he never intended to spit at Papiss Cisse and the Manchester United said only an idiot would have committed such a “disgusting” act.

Manchester United defender Evans is serving a six-match ban after an Independent Regulatory Commission upheld the punishment handed out by the Football Association.

Newcastle United striker Cisse was given a seven-match suspension for spitting at Evans during the Premier League clash at St James’ Park.

Evans maintains he did not purposefully spit at Cisse as it is not in his nature to do such a thing.

He told The Times: “I did not have the intent to spit at an opponent, so when the FA charged me with that I could never accept it,.

“To spit at anyone is one of the most disgusting things you can do; it’s low and cheap. I would never think to spit at someone. You just look like an idiot.

“So I can totally understand there is an image around that, and in the British game and our society it’s not something that is accepted, and rightly so.

“But I was able to go home and look my mum and dad in the eye because if I’d genuinely spat at someone I think they would have been disgusted in me.

“It’s not the background I come from in Northern Ireland. My mum and dad would have given me a rollicking if I had done that.”

The Northern Ireland international has revealed he is starting to think twice before spitting following the incident in United’s 1-0 victory.

He said: “In training this week I turned to spit and thought, ‘No, I can’t spit’ and tried to stop myself. So that’s something I’m trying to work on.”

Evans will serve the third game of his suspension when United travel to Liverpool on Sunday.