Cristiano Ronaldo issues apology after 'outburst' following Manchester United defeat to Everton

Cristiano Ronaldo has issued a public apology after he was involved in an incident with a fan following Manchester United's defeat to Everton on Saturday.

United failed to offer enough going forward on Saturday despite Marcus Rashford being denied twice by Jordan Pickford early on. Anthony Gordon's deflected strike gave the Toffees a 1-0 lead which they kept hold of until the final whistle.

The defeat leaves United six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur who won at Aston Villa in the late kick-off. But Ronaldo would attract further negative headlines after the final whistle.

ALSO READ: Manchester United 'looking into' Cristiano Ronaldo mobile phone incident after Everton defeat

In video footage taken by a fan, the Portuguese star appeared to knock a phone out of the hands of a fan as he walked off the field. Taking to Instagram on Saturday evening to address the incident, Ronaldo issued an apology to the supporter.

He wrote: "It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing. Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game.

"I would like to apologize for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair-play and sportsmanship."

Sky Sports reported earlier in the day that United were looking into an incident involving Ronaldo and a mobile phone. The report added that eyewitnesses have claimed the incident involved a mobile phone hitting the ground.

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