On-loan Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott scored his first goal for Valencia on his first start for the club in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday night

Harvey Elliott marked his first start for Valencia with a goal - as it emerged the on-loan Liverpool man had apologised for his bizarre red card last month.

Elliott struck the fourth goal from a direct free-kick as the Spanish side cruised to a 6-0 Copa del Rey first-round win over amateur side Tavernes on Tuesday night.

It was the 23-year-old's first appearance for Valencia since being awarded two yellow cards and a subsequent red in quick succession for apparently speaking out of turn to the referee during the 2-1 La Liga defeat to Villarreal almost three weeks ago.

And veteran Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, appointed Valencia boss in September, said: "He came to apologise because he didn't know the reasons for his expulsion since he barely speaks Spanish.

"He's a good player, a very healthy person. Hopefully, we can include him in the team."

Elliott - who lasted the full 90 minutes for the first time since January when making a rare outing loan for Aston Villa in the Europa League against Salzburg - was employed in a central midfield role.

"A good player can play anywhere," said Aguirre. "You can put him in midfield or on the wing.

"He's not entirely comfortable out wide, so I see him playing closer to the box. Everyone wants to play, and that speaks to the team's spirit."

Since beginning his season-long loan at Valencia shortly before deadline day in early September, Elliott has made six La Liga substitute appearances as well as his start on Tuesday. Nevertheless, his total of 242 minutes is already only 42 shy of the number he managed for the entirety of last season.

Tavernes, who are based around 40 miles from Valencia, had been drawn at home against their La Liga opponents but were forced to switch the game to the Mestalla given their Municipal stadium is capable of holding only 2,000 supporters.

More than 32,000 fans attended the game along with 5,000 people from Tavernes - more than a quarter of the population of the municipality. It has been reported in Spain the gate receipts would meet the budget of the club for up to the next three years.