'Beyond digusting!' - James Tarkowski's wife slams trolls 'wishing death on him' in X-rated rant after Everton star escaped red card for foul on Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister

During Everton's 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday, Tarkowski escaped a red card for a reckless tackle on Mac Allister - something he later apologised for. In the aftermath, his wife Samantha revealed the 32-year-old has been subjected to death threats, saying these "pathetic" acts go "far beyond football".

She wrote in an Instagram story: "I wasn't actually going to say anything because we usually just laugh if off but f*** it. 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****** well yet he's subjected to so much hate. For those acting like he deliberately set out to hurt someone - are you 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 admitted his high challenge on the Argentine was "not a great one from me", with the PGMOL later admitting the centre-back should have been sent off for the foul. While the ex-Burnley man was in the wrong, nobody should be subjected to that sort of abuse.

Tarkowski is likely to return to action on Saturday when Everton host Premier League title hopefuls Arsenal at Goodison Park.