Reading boss Steve Coppell has revealed Andre Bikey has apologised for his red card shame against Burnley on Saturday.
Cameroon defender facing four-match ban
Reading boss Steve Coppell has revealed Andre Bikey has apologised for his red card shame against Burnley on Saturday.
Bikey was sent off late on during Reading's 1-0 defeat at Turf Moor for stamping on Robbie Blake and and he compounded matters by throwing a tantrum at the referee's decision and hurling his shirt to the ground in disgust.
The Cameroon defender has been hit with a four-match ban as it was second sending off for violent conduct this season, but he could yet be handed further punishment for his reaction to the dismissal.
Bikey has been fined by Reading and Coppell believes the defender is sorry for his outburst.
"Nobody goes out to have the reaction Bikey had," Coppell told
Sky Sports News.
"He has apologised to his team-mates and I know he wants to apologise formally to everybody.
"It was just a rush of blood.
"It shows his passion in one respect but also shows he is still a young man and he has still got a lot of control to develop as part of his game."
It is not the first time Bikey has found himself in the headlines for the wrong reasons as he missed the 2008 African Cup of Nations final after pushing a Ghana physio during Cameroon's semi-final win.
Coppell admits Bikey is working on controlling his temper and asked if the pressure of the play-off game got to the defender, Coppell said: "I suppose so, but I think it is up to the individual.
"He has a bit of history with the African Cup of Nations and it is something he has tried very hard to work on and he will continue to do so."
