A former referee believes Lewis Dunk regretted what he said to Anthony Taylor within seconds.

The Albion captain was sent off at Nottingham Forest for a comment to the ref after being initially booked at a VAR pitchside review.

Dunk’s subsequent offence earned him a straight red card and a two-match Premier League ban.

He misses games against Chelsea and Brentford.

Former ref Dermot Gallagher told Sky Sports viewers: “For whatever reason, in that short period of time, he has just lost control of himself.

“Almost as soon as he has said it, he has regretted it because he puts his hand out to the referee as if to say, ‘I’m really, really sorry’.

“It’s almost like, ‘Yeah I’m out of order, I shouldn’t have said that’.”

Dunk appears to be offering to shake hands with Taylor just before the red card is produced.

He will be on four yellow cards and under threat of another ban as he returns to league action when Albion play Burnley in the 16th game of their campaign.

Five yellows in the first 19 fixtures leads to a one-game suspension.

Albion have yet to win a game in Dunk’s absence from kick-off although they completed successes at Ajax and Forest after he left the field.