Getting off on the right foot with supporters can be the start of a journey towards legendary status for a new player. Instantly form a good relationship with the fans, and they’ll be far more forgiving should anything go wrong throughout the season. Get off on the wrong foot, however, and you could quickly become public enemy number one.Pre-season gives supporters from across the world to get a glimpse of new arrivals for the first time, too, and line up, ready to get the latest shirt signed, or photo taken. There is a fine line between wanting a signature and simply failing to leave a player alone, though.It’s perhaps key to remember the human side of players, as shown by Manchester United’s summer arrival, Mason Mount.The midfielder couldn’t help but snap at United fans who had been asking for a signed shirt whilst on a pre-season tour.
What did Mason Mount say to a fan?
Snapping at fans, who had crossed the line with their desire for a piece of memorabilia by following him for three days, Mount refused to sign the shirt, relaying the fact that they had been following him, which you can see in the footage.
The midfielder was being pestered by fans after saying no multiple times and adding “sorry, lads”, he finally snapped, saying: “I ain’t signed for the last three days so I don’t know why you lot keep coming back.”
Whilst the fans will be left disappointed, following Mount for three days was always going to anger the midfielder, who, like anyone, is still entitled to a bit of privacy.
The former Chelsea man made his Manchester United debut in a recent friendly against Leeds United, as the Red Devils defeated their rivals 2-0, courtesy of goals from Joe Hugill, and Noam Emeran.
Rivals fans were quick to criticise his debut display, even putting together a compilation of some of his moments to forget.
Such is the case with many pre-season games, something tells us fans have been quick to jump to conclusions about a player’s performance. The real time to judge, however, will be throughout the forthcoming Premier League campaign.
What is the market value of Mason Mount?
Joining Manchester United for a reported £55m, Mount left Chelsea for fairly close to his current transfer value.
According to Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old is currently worth €60m (£51.36m), meaning that the Red Devils only paid an extra £3.64m than arguably warranted.
Considering the fact that Mount joined from a rival club, though, we’d say that Erik ten Hag and co got themselves quite the bargain this summer.
Speaking on joining United, Mount said in his first interview with the club: “It’s never easy leaving the club where you grew up, but Manchester United will provide an exciting new challenge for the next phase of my career.
“Having competed against them, I know just how strong a squad it is that I’m joining, and I can’t wait to be part of this group’s drive to win major trophies.”
Ahead of next season, he will hope to play a key role in taking things up another level at Old Trafford, building on the work that took place in the previous campaign under Ten Hag.