A 19-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with assault and throwing an item onto the pitch during Everton’s Premier League game against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Roger Tweedle, of Cranehurst Road, Walton, was released on conditional bail to appear at South Sefton Magistrates Court on 28 February, Merseyside Police said.

Two Villa players were floored by a bottle that was thrown from the crowd during their side’s 1-0 victory at Goodison Park.

Former Everton defender Lucas Digne, who had only left the Toffees nine days earlier, and Matty Cash both ended up on the ground after being struck as Villa players celebrated Emiliano Buendia’s first-half goal.

In a statement on their website after the match, Everton confirmed a supporter had been arrested after being identified using CCTV footage and that the club would “issue bans to any fans identified throwing objects”.

The game was Duncan Ferguson’s first in charge of his second spell as Everton caretaker manager following the dismissal of Rafael Benitez.

Ferguson said: “I never saw the bottles thrown, I’ve been told after and we don’t want that, it is bang out of order. That is not the way to do things. It is totally wrong.”