Manchester United have released a statement in support of new signing Mason Mount after footage emerged of the Englishman declining requests for autographs from a group of fans.
Mount signed for United this summer from Chelsea, in a deal worth upwards of £50m, and made his first appearance for the team in this week's 2-0 friendly win over Leeds in Oslo.
The England international has been bestowed with some added pressure, as United have given Mount the famous number seven jersey at the club.
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And now it seems as though he has already had an unpleasant run-in with some of the club's "fans."
A video emrged on social media this week which showed Mount being approached by a group of football fans asking him to sign "just one" shirt. After Mount initially refused, the group continued to follow him, before the United player could be heard saying, "I ain't been signing for the last three days, so I don't know why you lot keep coming back."
Mason Mount has done nothing wrong here.
Players are human beings, and they’re entitled to privacy. #MUFC
pic.twitter.com/NIn3rmN4tu— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) July 14, 2023
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Manchester United defend Mason Mount after icy clash with fans
The video seems to show Mount being approached by fans posing as Manchester United supporters, in order to acquire a signature to flog shirts on sites such as eBay.
This practice has become more common among supporters in recent years, and has been part of the reason behind less meet-and-greets being carried out between players and fans.
In response to the video going viral on social media, Manchester United released a statement defending Mount for his response to the group of supporters, saying they will be forced to take action in future if these actions become more frequent:
Unfortunately this kind of situation has become far too common. It's the last thing Mason deserves after being so friendly with everyone he has come across since joining United.
Professional autograph hunters are regularly pressuring United's players to sign large quantities of items that they then sell for hundreds of pounds. It has become an every day occurrence and a major problem at Carrington.
These organised groups will block players' cars and harass them as they arrive and leave their workplace. It is becoming really dangerous and you have to worry that it is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.
It also means that young fans, who just want to interact with their heroes, often miss out because players can't stop to take pictures with them without having to engage with the groups. It's a real frustration for everyone, security staff are in regular dialogue with the players around how to stop the problem.
Action will definitely start to be taken if it continues to persist.
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