Ex Charlton Athletic and Tottenham star defends Liverpool man Hugo Ekitike with The Valley anecdote

Ex Charlton Athletic and Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent has called for more leniency when football players celebrate by taking off their shirt following a red card shown to Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike.

The 23-year-old, who arrived at Anfield from Eintracht Frankfurt for £82 million this summer, scored a winner for the Reds in the 85th minute against Championship outfit Southampton on Tuesday evening. Ekitike’s strike helped Arne Slot’s side progress into the next round of the Carabao Cup in front of home support.

Having already been booked on the evening, Ekitike’s shirtless celebration saw him shown a second yellow and given his marching orders. The striker is now suspended for the trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.

Darren Bent defends Liverpool star Hugo Ekitike

The dramatic end to the match has sparked conversation this week and Bent gave his opinion on the situation when speaking on talkSPORT. The talisman referenced his time at Charlton Athletic in an anecdote.

He said: “I think it’s a ridiculous rule. I get it, political message or bare skin, 100%. They are supposed to be role models for kids. I think it’s a rubbish rule unless it’s those reasons, especially if you’ve got under armour on like he has. He’s not showing any skin. Come on. A bit of common sense, they need to look at that rule, it’s pathetic.

“In that moment, I can’t have sympathy for Ekitike. Where I do is you’ve scored the winning goal and you take the shirt off because you’re not thinking. I remember playing against Portsmouth at The Valley for Charlton. We got a bit of a rollicking at half time, didn’t play well but I was seething for the way Curbs [Alan Curbishley] had a go at me at half time.

Ex Charlton Athletic striker remembers The Valley goal

“I set up the first one, scored the winner. Took my shirt off and swung it around. I ran into the crowd. I was so angry and livid about being told off I didn’t even think, the shirt came straight off. In my first derby for Ipswich Town, against Norwich City. I’m 18 at the time, my first derby, I score the second goal and we beat them 2-0. Not only do I take my shirt off, I jump in the crowd, no booking.

“I jumped in the crowd, no bookings then. Everything nowadays is about image or how it looks. If there’s no political message or showing any skin, football is a game of emotion and that’s why we love it. Scoring a goal is the best feeling in the world and in those five seconds after you score, you don’t know what’s going through your head.”

In that match at The Valley, Andres D'Alessandro had struck home from the edge of the box to put Portsmouth 1-0 up. Bryan Hughes and Bent then struck after the break to beat Harry Redknapp’s visitors.

Speaking after the game, Curbishley said: "In the first half, they (Portsmouth) were the dominant side but they took their foot off the pedal a little bit and we got going.

"We changed the shape and got on top and scored two great goals. I can't fathom out what happened in the first half and they'll be sitting on the bus going home thinking what happened in the second half."

In other news, 'Unbelievable Night': Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones has impressive Blackburn Rovers record.