I feel bad for him too, but you also get an insight to 'the man' from his 'apology' after the match.
How many other players would have sought out the media after spending 38 seconds on the pitch? And then his apology - says sorry to the fans, says he should know better, than says he just reacted to the studs up challenge.
So big man Stevie has now justified it to himself, and presumably most LFC fans.
Pro-tip: If you're going to apologise for stamping on an ankle, the key really is to apologise to the person whose bone you could have broken.
It's like the apology that reads: I'm sorry you were offended by comments. It's not an apology.