Mason Greenwood makes Getafe debut as ex Man Utd star returns after 20 months

17 September 2023 , 13:38

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Greenwood has made his return to football with Getafe (Image: AP)

Mason Greenwood played his first football match in 20 months as he come on as a substitute for Getafe in their La Liga clash against Osasuna on Sunday.

United announced last month that Greenwood would be leaving the club following an internal investigation. While it had been suggested that other English clubs were monitoring the forward’s situation, he completed a late transfer deadline day switch to Getafe.

Greenwood’s last appearance on the pitch came for the Red Devils against West Ham in a Premier League match on 22 January 2022. That preceded his arrest and suspension from United. In February this year, the CPS dropped all criminal charges against the footballer, which included attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The 21-year-old was not signed by Getafe in time to be registered to face Real Madrid before the international break earlier this month and he was included in their matchday squad to play Osasuna on Sunday – but he was only named as a substitute, with strikers Borja Mayoral and Jaime Mata starting up front.

Mason Greenwood, centre, started the game vs Osasuna on the Getafe bench (Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

Greenwood came on in the 77th minute of the clash at the Coliseum Perez, with the score tantalisingly tied at 2-2, to replace Juanmi Latasa. He played a part in Getafe's winner eight minutes later, with his shot forcing a corner from which the winning goal was scored.

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The forward explained earlier this month after joining the Spanish club when asked on his fitness: "I have been training for about four or five months to get up to pace and I did a session with my teammates this morning, so I feel quite well."

Getafe's sporting director Ruben Reyes claimed earlier this month that the signing of Greenwood was "just the same" as any other. He told reporters: "We did what we do - sign players that are available to sign. There is no need for us to handle anything (off the pitch).

"We have signed a footballer who is just the same as (fellow signings) Diego Rico and Oscar Rodriguez, and that’s it. We have to do our job, and that’s what we focus on."

Reyes added: "It is a year’s loan. It’s very difficult to get an option to buy on a player (like him). He will be here all season. There are internal discussions, but those are small details that we try not to share. They appreciated the effort, how convinced we were.

"We’re very excited with him. He was a player that we knew was out there. We worked on it, gathered information and bit by bit we saw that there could be a possibility. We spoke to his family, to his dad, to his people for a long time.

"We were able to convince him to come here, to trust in us. We’re satisfied. He plays very free, as if he was on a school playground. He has a very high level. We dreamed that we could bring him here, and sometimes that gets fulfilled."

Greenwood scored 35 goals in 129 appearances for United having made his senior debut in the Champions League in March 2019, and won a single England cap in 2020. The forward remains under contract with the Red Devils until 2025, with a club option of a further 12 months.

Colin Millar