SUNDERLAND star Luke O’Nien was booked for his cheeky trick at Leeds.
O’Nien, 31, started a Premier League match for the very first time, leading his side out at Elland Road as skipper.
And he made sure it would be a memorable full Prem debut.
But the Black Cats star may have used up one of his ‘Nien lives to get away from the stadium as Sunderland clinched all three points in controversial fashion.
Wind-up merchant was right at the thick of it as he lived up to his reputation in style against Leeds.
With the score 0-0 in first-half injury-time, the hosts went on the attack.
But as O’Nien slotted into his defensive shape, he spotted a rogue football had made its way on to the pitch.
Not one to miss an opportunity for the chance to produce some top-tier banter, O’Nien immediately ran over to the spare rolling football.
And with one touch, he deliberately tried to pass it towards Leeds ace Brenden Aaronson, who had the actual matchball.
Instead, he kicked it into his own team-mate Lutsharel Geertruida.
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Geertruida flagged the extra ball on the pitch to referee Stuart Attwell, unbeknownst to him it had been sent his way by O’Nien.
But Attwell clocked what O’Nien had done and booked him when play came to a halt – despite the defender playing dumb and protesting his innocence.
The clip was picked up on social media – and prompted a wave of reactions.
One fan said: “Most Luke O’Nien booking ever.”
Another wrote: “You gotta admire the cheek, even if it cost him a yellow!”
A third added: “Luke O’Nien is such a s***house.”
A fourth typed: “You’d be fuming as a Leeds fan.”
And a final user commented: “I love Luke O’Nien.”
To make matters worse for Leeds, O’Nien escaped giving a seemingly blatant penalty away for wrestling Pascal Struijk to the ground.
He was then named man of the match, which was won by Habib Diarra’s penalty – awarded after a questionable Ethan Ampadu handball following a VAR check.
It is not the first time witty O’Nien has cracked fans up with his brilliant antics.
In 2023, he hilariously jumped on a rival’s back to get a piggyback – then planted a kiss on now-Bournemouth ace Alex Scott.
O’Nien – who once rescued a drowning dog at the beach – also had supporters giggling by jumping into a post-match brawl WWE style.
