A 20-year-old footballer for English club Manchester United was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of raping and assaulting a woman. According to Sky Sports, Mason Greenwood’s arrest came after the woman took to social media to share photos of the injuries she sustained from the alleged assault. She also shared videos.
Greater Manchester Police said it initiated an investigation into the case after it was notified about the said photos and videos on Sunday. Manchester United also announced it won’t allow the England international to train or feature in any games “until further notice” after club officials were made aware of the incident.
Greenwood, an emerging soccer star and fan favorite for both club and country, reportedly played his first professional game for Manchester United in 2019. He has since featured in 129 games for the soccer club.
“We are aware of images and allegations circulating on social media,” the club said in a statement. “We will not make any further comment until the facts have been established. Manchester United does not condone violence of any kind.
The 20-year-old footballer trended on social media on Sunday after photos of the injuries the woman allegedly suffered from the assault were shared on social media. A voice note of an alleged conversation between the two was also shared.
And though those posts were later deleted, Greenwood was largely rebuked for his actions. “I’m seeing people making excuses for Mason Greenwood like ‘it’s been a tough season’ ??? Are you on crack? When is physical abuse ever okay?” a Twitter user asked.
“Mason Greenwood should not be on a football pitch for the foreseeable future. What his girlfriend has posted is beyond horrifying. No ‘two sides to the story’ defence for this cos the audio clip proves what he was doing,” another user shared. “Another highly talented footballer going the wrong way…”
A user also posted: “My son is at a premier league football academy and I cannot stress enough how important it is that Mason Greenwood is punished. My child should not believe that his talent means he can abuse ANYBODY. I can only teach him so much. The game has to do the rest.”
Take a look at more reactions below:
Mason Greenwood deserves everything that will come his way following this disgusting story.
— UtdFaithfuls (@UtdFaithfuls) January 30, 2022
Absolutely disgraceful to say the least.
Mason Greenwood has a lot of explaining to do – to a police officer, not just his club
— nazir afzal (@nazirafzal) January 30, 2022
There is no excuse for domestic violence, never
These allegations need to be investigated quickly
I’m sick to the depths of my stomach at Mason Greenwood’s abhorrent behaviour.
— Steven Bartlett (@SteveBartlettSC) January 30, 2022
There are deeply toxic issues within male culture that need to be addressed.
As a Manchester United fan I hope he never plays for our club again and I hope he gets the jail time he deserves.
Utterly disgusting allegations about Mason Greenwood.
— Adam Millington (@AdamGMillington) January 30, 2022
If your first reaction is to make jokes about Prison FC, then you’re trivialising what victims go through and are part of the problem.