Manchester United new boy Mason Mount has been praised for refusing to sign shirts after being hounded by so-called 'fans'.
Mount, who joined in a £55 million switch from Chelsea and inherited the iconic No.7 shirt vacated by Cristiano Ronaldo, made his debut for the Red Devils in a 2-0 pre-season friendly win over Leeds United in Oslo on Wednesday.
Ahead of kick-off, Erik ten Hag explained how Mount will fit into his plans, telling MUTV: “I am sure he will contribute to the success of Manchester United because he is a quality player.
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“In midfield you have to attack but you also have to defend. He will bring dynamic into our game. We need more dynamic in that midfield department.”
Off the pitch, a video of Mount being bothered by a group of people holding shirts for him to sign has been doing the rounds on social media.
The exact location of the situation is unknown but Mount, by himself and wearing his United tracksuit, is approached by members of the public in a car park in pitch black conditions.
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While he walks away, Mount immediately says, "You know I ain't signing it" and "Sorry lads" - much to the frustration of those who had waited for him.
They try and plead with the England international, but he remains firm and tells them, "I haven't signed for the last three days so I don't know why you lot keep coming back".
But United fans have supported Mount's decision to not provide his autograph and are convinced the people in the video were simply trying to make money as opposed to being genuine supporters.
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One said: "Go on Mason lad."
A second wrote: "Extremely weird to follow a footballer like that."
A third opined: "This is one reason why you see clips of players just walking past crowds going into hotels etc."
A fourth stated: "The account filming is called Icons 4 U. We all know why they're chasing people for signatures."
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Another had the same view, writing: "See it OT every week same faces trying to get signatures and then flog them on the internet. Well done Mase."
A fifth fumed: "This is so cringe, grown men begging for an autograph and also doing it in a really uncomfortable and intrusive way. It’s clearly to sell on and rip off real fans. Fair play to Mason for rejecting them, can’t be having that especially in his personal space.
A final user agreed: "This is not only embarrassing from these signature touts following him in a car park in the dark to get a shirt signed but also scary too…. I think Mase handled this very well & I completely agree with him."
A club source said that the events have become a "real frustration" and "action will be taken" if it continues to happen.
They commented: "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.
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"Professional autograph hunters are regularly pressuring United’s players to sign large quantities of items that 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."
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@Icons4_U & GettyTopics: Chelsea, Manchester United, Mason Mount, Premier League, Fan Reactions