Mason Greenwood, wearing his blue Manchester United polo shirt, smiled as he posed for pictures alongside an equally comfortable Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the ahead had signed a long-term take care of the membership he joined as a six-year outdated.
It was 2020.
Final week, the mayor of Marseille urged the French membership to not contact the striker, although his plea fell on deaf ears and he accomplished the transfer on Thursday night.
‘I don’t want my membership lined in disgrace,’ he stated. How a profession can veer off path.
Again in 2020, Solskjaer was excited concerning the 18-year-old, essentially the most pure finisher on the membership, in his eyes. When he got here on in its place in opposition to Arsenal the earlier Could aged 17 he had develop into the second youngest United Premier League participant, after Angel Gomes.
‘We actually imagine he’ll be essential for us and to signal him now could be nice for us but it surely have to be nice for the boy as effectively, to know that we imagine in him and his future is right here,’ Solskjaer beamed.
However Greenwood’s future, not less than his rapid future, is in France, sealing his £30million transfer to Marseille.
Marseille confirmed the signing of Mason Greenwood from Man United on Thursday
Greenwood’s Manchester United dream-turned-nightmare has come to an finish
Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 and charged with tried rape, partaking in controlling and coercive behaviour and assault, however by no means confronted courtroom
Livid United followers had been vocal of their need to by no means see him play for the soccer membership once more
The final 4 years may have been stuffed with glee and targets for United. As an alternative there have been a handful of highs – scoring 17 in a season for the primary staff – however largely lows; suspensions, a prolonged authorized case, doubts over his professionalism, sponsors dropping him, law-breaking in Iceland whereas with England, a U-turn from United on reintegrating him… and now the mayor of Marseille.
Issues round Greenwood lingered lengthy earlier than he was arrested in October 2022 and charged with tried rape, assault occasioning precise bodily hurt, and fascinating in controlling and coercive behaviour.
Figures round United had been conscious that Greenwood was completely different to different academy kids. As electrical as he was on the pitch, he proved electrical off it, with tales surfacing of poor behaviour throughout the Covid lockdown and events thrown by the younger striker in Salford.
These considerations magnified tenfold when, alongside Manchester Metropolis’s Phil Foden, Greenwood was kicked out of England’s camp for breaking Covid guidelines and Icelandic regulation having simply made his senior debut. The pair invited two ladies – one a magnificence queen – again to the staff lodge and after footage emerged of the rendezvous on social media, Greenwood and Foden had been headline information.
‘It was irresponsible to interrupt Covid protocols that are to guard gamers, employees and the general public,’ Greenwood, who deleted his Twitter account following the incident, stated. ‘I wish to apologise to Gareth Southgate, for letting him down, when he had proven nice belief in me.
‘Taking part in for England was certainly one of my proudest moments and I solely have myself in charge. I promise my household, the followers, Manchester United and England that it is a lesson I’ll study from.’
Greenwood has not performed for England since. However within the autumn of 2021, Southgate and technical director John McDermott went to see Greenwood, members of his household and United officers, with a view to reintegrate the participant into the senior squad.
The assembly was, partially, to current Greenwood with a plan to pick out him as a squad member somewhat than an automated starter. Tellingly Southgate left the assembly agreeing to not choose him in any case events felt that was greatest.
Together with Phil Foden, Greenwood was kicked out of England’s camp when a Snapchat clip launched by DV seems to indicate the England kids in a lodge room with feminine firm
In 2021, Gareth Southgate and FA technical director John McDermott went to see Greenwood , members of his household and United officers, with a view to reintegrating the participant
The FA’s relationship with Greenwood’s camp, specifically father Andrew, was stated to be awkward.
‘They thought there could be lots of consideration round him coming into the England squad – and if he wasn’t going to play then they weren’t certain if that was a good suggestion,’ a supply instructed Mail Sport on the time.
Again at United it turned more and more exhausting to maintain a lid on points swirling round Greenwood.
Quickly after Icelandgate, Solskjaer in entrance of the media defending Greenwood once more regardless of the membership having needed to converse to him over his timekeeping.
‘He is a implausible boy to work with,’ was Solskjaer’s model. ‘He is by no means late for coaching. He is acquired household, he is acquired background within the academy and he is coach.
‘I’ve seen some ex-United gamers speaking about him and they do not know what they’re speaking about.’
Then, in early 2022, got here the episode no membership spin may repair.
Greenwood was arrested by Better Manchester Police after distressing footage and audio circulated on social media allegedly exhibiting him attacking a bloodied and bruised 18-year-old feminine. A person may very well be heard shouting ‘transfer your f****** legs you’. When the lady stated that she didn’t need intercourse, the person responded: ‘I do not give a f*** what you need, you little s***.’
United stated they had been looking for to ‘set up the total circumstances’. And that ‘United doesn’t condone violence of any form.’
Greenwood’s £2m mansion within the upmarket village of Bowdon, Cheshire, was teeming with forensic specialists and United suspended him.
Greenwood has not performed for Manchester United since 2022 when the allegations got here out
Following information of his arrest in 2022, Greenwood was panned by team-mates and sponsors
Gamers reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba unfollowed Greenwood on social media
After a database replace for all platforms together with Xbox, PlayStation and PC, Greenwood not featured within the well-liked laptop recreation FIFA for offline modes by the use of response
Dominos started to fall. Days after his arrest he was dropped by Nike with out a penny of compensation, costing him hundreds of thousands. United eliminated Greenwood merchandise from the membership web site, whereas indignant followers returned shirts bearing the participant’s title to the Previous Trafford megastore.
Group-mates disassociated themselves, too. Cristiano Ronaldo, David de Gea, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford unfollowed him on social media. United’s shirt sponsors TeamViewer started ‘intently monitoring the developments’ and official accomplice Cadbury introduced that Greenwood wouldn’t function on their merchandise.
After he was launched on bail following three nights within the cells, the £75,000-a-week striker beefed up safety with two non-public guards to patrol the £14,000-a-month rented home. An eight-camera CCTV system was put in.
Again at United Ralf Rangnick, then in interim cost, held disaster talks with then-football director John Murtough base to debate Greenwood’s ‘catastrophe’ state of affairs and the affect it may have on the staff.
Quick ahead to October 2022 and Greenwood was arrested once more, this time for an alleged breach of his bail circumstances.
Two days later he appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Courtroom and spoke solely to substantiate his title, date of beginning and handle. His dad, mum Melanie and a United safety element had been in attendance. At one other courtroom listening to he wore a black hoodie protecting his head. A trial was set for November of final yr.
By now requires Greenwood to be sacked – not an possibility thought of by United with the authorized case ongoing and a good course of required – grew from a fan-base that had no urge for food to see him play for the membership once more.
Greenwood was despatched out on mortgage following the conclusion of an inner membership investigation
Greenwood’s transfer to Spain was extensively criticised however he has been well-supported by Getafe
The 22-year-old was named Getafe’s participant of the season after a fruitful mortgage spell in Spain
In February 2023 although, fees in opposition to Greenwood had been dropped after the Crown Prosecution Service stated key witnesses withdrew their involvement and new materials got here to gentle.
‘We’ve got an obligation to maintain circumstances below steady evaluate,’ the CPS stated. ‘There was not a practical prospect of conviction. [So] we’re below an obligation to cease the case.’
And but, within the courtroom of public opinion, the hammer had dropped on Greenwood. Feeling public stress, United launched an inner investigation. Supervisor Erik ten Hag stated it was not right down to him whether or not Greenwood could be reintegrated. Tales emerged of officers talking to the ladies’s staff for his or her ideas.
United determined reintegration was for the perfect however when The Athletic broke the story, the choice brought on uproar. United backtracked and in September final yr launched a brief assertion: ‘Mason Greenwood has signed for La Liga facet Getafe on a season-long mortgage.’
‘The transfer permits Greenwood to start to rebuild his profession away from United. The membership will proceed to supply its help to Mason.’
Greenwood, then a brand new father, stated: ‘I perceive that folks will choose me due to what they’ve seen and heard on social media, and I do know individuals will suppose the worst.
‘I used to be introduced as much as know that violence or abuse in any relationship is fallacious, I didn’t do the issues I used to be accused of, and in February I used to be cleared of all fees.
As a participant, Greenwood was accepted by the remainder of the Getafe dressing room from the outset
There was a sense that Greenwood settled right into a slower tempo of life whereas on mortgage in Spain
‘Nonetheless, I settle for I made errors in my relationship, and I take my share of duty for the conditions which led to the social media publish.’
At his unveiling – the place questions on the United suspension had been banned – 4,000 followers turned up. In per week they offered extra shirts with Greenwood’s title on than of some other participant within the membership’s historical past.
Greenwood and his household had been welcomed with open arms by membership, eating with the president in a high-end steak restaurant, whereas a translator was made accessible 24-7.
Greenwood was successful, successful Participant of the Season after 10 targets and 6 assists in 36 video games, sparking curiosity from Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Lazio and Marseille.
Not like the swap to Getafe, which handed in Spain with out a lot uproar, the Marseille transfer is proving massively divisive. Benoit Payan, the Marseille mayor, was vocal.
‘I’ll ask the president of Marseille to not recruit Greenwood,’ Payan stated. ‘I do not need my membership to be lined within the disgrace. It is not acceptable.
‘He (Pablo Longoria, the membership’s president) is aware of what my opinions are. I’ve instructed him that our historical past and our membership is made up of people that come from completely different backgrounds.
‘It’s insufferable. I can not think about for a second that Pablo Longoria would make this main mistake.’
Fan teams agreed. Social media was awash with ‘#GreenwoodNotWelcome’ messages.
Marseille mayor Benoit Payan publicly opposed Greenwood’s transfer to the membership
Marseille followers began a protest motion in a bid to maintain Greenwood from signing but it surely fell on deaf ears
Followers took to social media asking the membership to not ‘betray its values’ by signing Greenwood
A membership chat room, OM Discussion board, stated in a press release: ‘The administration led by Pablo Longoria appears to have determined that solely the top justifies the means and that each one abilities are good to take to attain sporting excellence, in defiance of the gorgeous efforts made by the membership lately, specifically by way of its basis, in accordance with the social position it has within the metropolis.’
And but Marseille pressed forward, bringing an finish, lastly, to Greenwood’s United dream-turned-nightmare. The 2 golf equipment agreed a price of £27m plus £3.2m in add-ons.
Greenwood turns 23 in October and has nearly all of his profession forward of him. After 17 years, and a lot hope and expectation and a flicker or United stardom, he’ll not be connected to Previous Trafford. It may have been so completely different. His is a cautionary story.
