Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has revealed that Christian Benteke has apologised for breaching team rules when he took a penalty in Saturday's Premier League match against Bournemouth.
The former Liverpool striker missed an opportunity to give the Eagles all three points as he failed to hit the target from the spot.
Luka Milivojevic is the regular penalty-taker and he managed to convert one in the first half, but Benteke prevented his teammate from trying to nab another.
A win would have dragged the club out of the relegation zone, but in the end, the match finished 2-2 at Selhurst Park.
"The first opportunity this morning, he gets the players around, says his piece," ESPN quotes Hodgson as saying. "He's already said it to me - that's a strong and correct thing to do - and he makes it perfectly clear.
"'I took this responsibility. I shouldn't have done because I'm breaking ranks, I'm not obeying team instructions, so I apologise for that, but I'm now going to get on with it', and I'm pretty sure he'll make it up to us'.
"I'm very happy with the way he's reacted to it, the way he's taken responsibility, the way he's explained that to the rest of the team, not just to myself. He's had the courage to talk in front of the team and explain his decision and apologise for not following the instructions.
"I'm happy with that, but I'm never happy when very clear instructions like that are given, and everyone knows they are there to be followed."
Benteke was booed off by Palace fans when the final whistle blew.
Danielle Joynson
