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Liverpool defender Skrtel unrepentant over De Gea stamp

In a picture taken on March 22, 2015 referee Martin Atkinson (L) separates Manchester United's Spanish
Image: Martin Atkinson (L) separates Manchester United's goalkeeper David de Gea and Liverpool's Martin Skrtel

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel says he does not feel guilty about stamping on Manchester United keeper David de Gea.

Skrtel was handed a three-match ban for the incident towards the end of United's 2-1 victory at Anfield on Sunday, but the 30-year-old remains unrepentant and continues to protest his innocence.

The Slovak claimed the coming together was completely unintentional as he caught the Spainiard on the shin while chasing a through-ball in the final seconds of the match, but an independent panel disagreed.

"It feels strange because we appealed against those charges and still I was hit by a three-match ban," he told his personal website martin-skrtel.com.

I didn't want to stamp on him. It was an accident and I didn't do it on purpose. I don't feel guilty
Martin Skrtel

"I didn't want to stamp on him. It was an accident and I didn't do it on purpose. I don't feel guilty. It was a long ball and he went towards me and I wanted to jump over him. Simple as that."

Skrtel's ban means he will miss the Premier League matches against Arsenal and Newcastle, plus the FA Cup quarter-final replay at Blackburn and he will be joined on the sidelines by club captain Steven Gerrard.

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Gerrard will also serve a similar three-match ban for the red card he received less than a minute after coming on as a second-half substitute fo his stamp on United midfielder Ander Herrera.

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