James Tarkowski’s wife has released a statement condemning the ‘vile’ abuse they have received after the Merseyside derby.
Tarkowski was part of the Everton team that lost 1-0 to Liverpool and was involved in a controversial moment during the first half.
His attempted tackle on Alexis Mac Allister caught the Reds man and he was shown a yellow card by referee Sam Barrott.
Reviews suggest Tarkowski, who appeared to apologise after, could well have deserved red instead and the PGMOL have since acknowledged he should have been sent off.
The Everton defender’s wife, Samantha, has now revealed some abuse that has been aimed at Tarkowski and his family, with one posted on her Instagram story wishing death on her husband.
“I wasn’t actually going to say anything because we usually just laugh if off but f**k it,” she said on Instagram.
“The level of abuse my husband is receiving – wishing death on him, vile comments about me, about us as a couple, and about him as a person – is beyond disgusting.
“People forget that he is more than just a footballer. He is a husband, a father, a brother, a friend, and most importantly, the father of our two children.
“He goes out there and does his job and does it very f***ing well yet he’s subjected to so much hate. For those acting like he deliberately set out to hurt someone – r u serious?!
“Football moves at speed, and tackles are split-second decisions. No player goes out there to injure someone and do you think any player would feel good about it if they did?
“But the pure s*** messages, the threats? That’s intentional. That’s on you. Football is a sport, but the way some so-called ‘fans’ behave is disgraceful.
“The abuse, the threats – it’s not passion, it’s pathetic. We’re real people, and this goes far beyond football.”
Tarkowski, who scored the dramatic late equaliser in the previous Merseyside derby in February, made his 31st appearance this season.
Everton did well to limit the dominant Liverpool during the first half but were unable to prevent the Premier League leaders from scoring.
Diogo Jota went on an excellent run and fired in the winner in the 57th minute to extend Liverpool’s lead over Arsenal to 12 points.
Despite the defeat at Anfield, Everton are closer to Premier League safety with a 14-point gap between them and the bottom three.
