Tanganga sending off reminds me of my Real red mist

SPEAKING of Ronaldo, Japhet Tanganga’s sending off against Crystal Palace brought back memories of my own red card while playing for Tottenham against Real Madrid in a Champions League quarterfinal a decade ago. Both were for two bookings in quick succession and proof of how situations can get away from you quite quickly. I got too excited, to be honest, playing inside the Bernabeu for the first time. There was real adrenalin to the occasion and I got ‘played’ by the home team. The highlights show Marcelo smiling and applauding as I trudge off to the dressing room. Tanganga (right) was similar in that he got carried away with the situation. The atmosphere inside Selhurst Park was up, the blood was pumping. Tanganga was riled after the first one, when Wilfried Zaha pushed the ball past him and they squared up. That was a bad one, a definite yellow. The crowd were on him from that moment. He then gave the ball away, Zaha said something to him and they shook hands. I was working for BT Sport, sitting with Rio, and we noticed that nobody in a Tottenham shirt was telling him to calm down and take a breath. Where were the leaders when Spurs needed them? Is that different if the captain plays outfield? Soon after, the ball runs away from Tanganga and — I’ve done this so many times when you are angry with your own bad touch — you lunge in. Off. Spurs lose the game 3-0. That will act as a lesson. In my case, Real won 4-0. Ronaldo scored, obviously.