An English soccer pro has received a six-game suspension, following a homophobic outburst during a match last October.

The English Football Association’s (FA) regulatory commission banned Manchester United midfielder Jack Fletcher from playing in six games and fined him £1,500 (a little over $2,000), according to The Guardian.

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The disciplinary action comes after an incident during an October 2025 match between Manchester United’s Under-21s team and Barnsley Football Club. Over an hour into the game, Fletcher reportedly asked an unnamed Barnsley player whether he was “a gay boy.” A referee subsequently removed Fletcher from the game.

Fletcher was charged with an “aggravated breach” of FA rules banning “abusive and/or insulting words” that include references to “sexual orientation,” according to the New York Times.

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Fletcher reportedly admitted to using the phrase, and both the Barnsley player and the FA regulatory commission accepted his claim that he had not intended to be homophobic. The commission also accepted Fletcher’s claim that the Barnsley player had been lobbing insults at him about Fletcher’s twin brother and father, former Manchester United midfielder and interim manager Darren Fletcher, during the game.

Fletcher reportedly claimed the Barnsley’ player’s verbal abuse caused him to snap, asking, “You seem to know a lot about me. Are you a gay boy?” according to the Times.

Fletcher was immediately banned from two games after the October match, both the Times and the Guardian reported. He has also sat out three subsequent games in February. That leaves one last match for him to sit out on March 6 before he can return to the field, according to the Guardian.

Fletcher apologized for the October outburst in a statement released Wednesday.

“I am truly sorry for the offensive word that I used in the heat of the moment,” the 18-year-old said, according to The Guardian. “Despite the fact that I had no intention to use the term as a homophobic insult, I completely understand that such language is unacceptable and immediately apologized after the game. I want to be clear that this momentary lapse of character absolutely does not reflect my beliefs or values.”

In its own statement, Manchester United said that it has worked with Fletcher “to strengthen his understanding of discriminatory language, and why it is harmful.

“In addition to his ongoing participation in regular academy programmes on diversity and inclusion, Jack will also take part in educational training through the FA,” the club said, according to The Guardian.

Rainbow Devils, an LGBTQ+ Manchester United fan club, released a statement responding to Fletcher’s apology. “We hope Jack learns from this and grows as a person and a player,” the club said, according to the Times. “His immediate regret and guilty plea suggests that he will.”

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