Football's most outrageous fouls and red cards

When you’re representing your club or country in a big game, with reputations on the line and millions of fans watching, sometimes it's hard to keep your cool.

Well, during Monday night's Merseyside derby, Everton midfielder Ross Barkley clearly let the heat of the moment get the better of him when he lunged into a tackle, studs up, on Liverpool's Jordan Henderson.

The 23-year old Evertonian was lucky to escape a red card following the challenge and Henderson was even luckier not to be seriously injured.

The Liverpool midfielder went easy on Barkley after the game, but other footballers have been shown red for much less. Here are some of those dismissals, ranging from the horrendous to the hilarious:

Edin Dzeko - November 2016

Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko hit the deck after a routine scuffle with Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos, but what soon followed was far from normal.

After a bit of rolling around the floor unwilling to let the ball out of his grasp, Dzeko clinged onto Papastathopoulos' shorts and dragged them down to reveal more than what the average football fan had bargained for.

Caught with his pants down, the Greek defender got back to his feet whilst Dzeko was sent to the dugouts.

Alex Song - June 2014

For sheer stupidity, look no further than Cameroon’s Alex Song at World Cup 2014.

The midfielder’s side had a horrible time in Brazil and we’re heading towards the competition's exit by the time he lost his head completely against Croatia.

Violent swings at opposing players are nothing new, but it’s rare to attack an opponent who’s nowhere near the ball.

Just weird.

Edinson Cavani - October 2014

There were three red cards in this 3-1 victory for Paris St Germain over Lens, but the most ridiculous of them has to go to PSG’s Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani.

After scoring the penalty to make it 3-1 Cavani pulled out an imaginary rifle, pointed it at the crowd, and pulled the trigger - his trademark, if insensitive, goal celebration.

The referee booked him.

Cavani, stunned, complained.

The referee booked him again.

Two yellow cards means one red and the biggest buzz kill ever.

Mario Gjurovski - May 2013

“Mario Gjurovski? Oh yeah, I know him,” said absolutely no one ever - but the Macedonian did achieve some fame after scoring with a stunning chip for Thai side Muangthong United.

The midfielder, who was already booked, celebrated his brilliant goal by calmly taking off his shorts, placing them on his head, and dancing wildly in front of the crowd.

Very funny, but you can't do it. Second yellow card. Off you go.

David Beckham - June 1998

Before David Beckham was a handsome model and all-around good egg, he was a handsome footballer and the all-around golden boy of English football.

That was until he stuffed up English chances at the 1998 World Cup, by kicking out at Argentinian hard man Diego Simeone.

Becks fell for the oldest wind-up trick in the book, and England went out on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

“Ten Heroic Lions, One Stupid Boy” said one newspaper front page, and Becks was a national hate figure.

Hard to believe now, considering what he's become.

Youssouf Mulumbu - March 2014

It’s often said that professional players lose the love of the game they had as kids. How sad.

Well you can’t say that for West Brom midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu, who in a fit of rage brought the playground back to the Premier League.

After being cynically pulled back by West Ham’s Gary O’Neil as he tried to launch a counter-attack, Mulumbu lost his rag.

He picked up the ball and launched rugby-style punt towards O’Neil backside, just a metre away.

Hilarious, yes. Allowed, no. Red card.

Benjamin Massing - June 1990

Cameroon's second entry in this list is this incredible team effort at World Cup 1990.

1-0 up against the defending champs in the opening game, Cameroon were already down to 10 men and desperately holding on.

As Argentina’s Claudio Caniggia broke away down the pitch, two Cameroon players tried to bring him down.

After the second blow, Caniggia stumbled but somehow stayed on his feet.

That was until Benjamin Massing smashed into him with a force so powerful his own boot came off.

Looking back, it’s incredible that it took so long for the ref to send him off.

Lee Bowyer & Keiron Dyer - April 2005

Intense rivalries can spill over into violence, but fighting on the pitch is horrible. No one likes to see it.

But watching two team-mates go toe-to-toe with each other in front of their own fans is just weird.

Newcastle’s Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer started swinging for each other in a Premier League game against Aston Villa, after Bowyer complained about Dyer not passing him the ball.

Both got red cards and the Magpies were down to nine men. They lost 3-0.

Now where’s that self-destruct button?

Zinedine Zidane - July 2006

You’re one of the game’s all-time greats, playing in your last World Cup for your country.

You’ve single-handedly carried your team to the final, where you’ve scored, it’s 1-1 in extra-time and your team are on top.

It’s surely just a matter of time before you write the perfect ending to your incredible story by winning your second World Cup.

Then someone says something you don’t like and you head-butt them in the chest.

Red card. Your team lose on penalties.

Game over. Career over.

Paolo Di Canio - September 1998

Technically, Di Canio had already been shown his red card before things got truly ridiculous.

Paul Alcock had sent Sheffield Wednesday’s controversial Italian off after a scuffle with Arsenal’s Martin Keown, and Di Canio couldn’t believe it.

Enraged, he shoved Alcock to the floor. Nobody could believe what they were seeing.

Di Canio lost his head, and Alcock lost his dignity. The Italian would get an 11-match ban for his meltdown.