O'Leary leaps to Harte defence - February 7, 2001
Leeds United manager David O'Leary has leapt to the defence of his Republlic of Ireland international full back Ian Harte, who was branded a cheat this week.
Harte was accused by Ipswich striker Marcus Stewart of feigning injury to get him sent off - and the England hopeful said the Irishman had ruined his chances of getting an England call-up this month.
But O'Leary, speaking in his weekly column in the Irish Star newspaper, said Stewart had no-one to blame but himself for the challenge which got him sent off.
"Marcus clattered into him (Harte)," O'Leary said. "Ian has the marks on his leg to prove it.
"To be honest, I thought a yellow card might have been sufficient," the former Irish international went on, "but the referee clearly saw that Ian had played the ball before Marcus clattered into him. It was a needless late challenge, even though I don't think Marcus intended to injure him.
"Marcus - and nobody else - got himself red-carded for his rash challenge."