'Totally unacceptable' - FA blasted after Man Utd star Joshua Zirkzee ecapes punishment for 'very crude celebration' against Southampton

The Dutch striker, who was brought on in the second half to replace Rasmus Hojlund, found himself at the centre of controversy following the game. United had been trailing 1-0, courtesy of a Manuel Ugarte own goal, and were staring at yet another Premier League defeat. However, Amad Diallo’s late-game brilliance turned the match on its head, with the winger scoring an extraordinary hat-trick in the final minutes to secure a dramatic 3-1 victory for the Red Devils.

Despite the euphoria surrounding the win, the spotlight shifted to Zirkzee, who grabbed his crotch during the celebrations for one of Amad’s goals - a gesture deemed highly inappropriate by many. In fact, the gesture drew sharp criticism from Keith Hackett, former head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and an ex-FIFA referee, who expressed his disappointment with the Football Association’s (FA) decision not to sanction Zirkzee.

Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett said, “Once again the Football Association delivered the wrong message to football players across the country. Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee’s very crude celebration which frankly was totally unacceptable is NOT going to receive a sanction.

“Players at grassroots level have a habit of copying what they see Premier League players do. So when it happens at the grassroots level having seen no sanction issued by The FA please advise referees if they sanction or ignore. Come on, you are the gatekeepers of the game and youngsters attending matches should be protected.”

The win against Southampton ended a four-game winless streak for Manchester United in the Premier League and lifted United to 12th in the table. Their attention now turns to a challenging fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on January 19.