Mason Greenwood has responded to missing out on a nomination for the French player’s union’s Player of the Season after a strong first season at Ligue 1 side Marseille.
The former Manchester United player stepped away from Old Trafford on a permanent basis last summer following his season-long loan spell at LaLiga outfit Getafe in 2023-24.
Greenwood hadn’t made an appearance for his boyhood side since January 2022 after he was arrested before being charged with attempted rape, assault, and controlling and coercive behaviour.
Charges against the 23-year-old were later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service following the withdrawal of key witnesses, and a subsequent internal investigation into his conduct by Man United came to the mutual agreement by both parties that he should continue his career away from Old Trafford.
Since his move to France, Greenwood has been enjoying a positive debut campaign under former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi.
But despite being set to end the season as his new league’s second-highest scorer – behind Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele – Greenwood was snubbed by UNFP.
Mason Greenwood has been snubbed by the French player’s union for their Player of the Year
Kylian Mbappe has won the award at the last five offerings – 2021 to 2024, and in 2019
Greenwood had a strong start to the season but experienced a blip this year that was called out by his manager Roberto De Zerbi
Despite being left out, Greenwood was less than sanguine about his exclusion when asked following Marseille’s 1=1 draw with Lille last weekend.
‘I’m not really bothered about that,’ Greenwood said to RMC Sport, ‘the only thing that bothers me at the moment is getting Marseille to the Champions League.’
But as much as the player’s public words might suggest a lack of interest, privately Greenwood might have De Zerbi’s comments from March ringing in his ears.
At the time, the former Seagulls manager had castigated Greenwood for a drop in form that he felt was within the player’s control.
‘I expect more from him,’ De Zerbi said of his forward. ‘He has to do more, because what he is currently showing is not enough.
‘If he wants to achieve his ambition of becoming a champion, he has to be more consistent, sacrifice more, and be more determined.’
De Zerbi later revealed that he was working with Greenwood’s father in a bid to improve his performances on the pitch.
Greenwood has since found his way back into the goals, scoring against recent opponents Toulouse and Montpellier, but may look for greater returns in a bid to return to the Premier League sooner rather than later.
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Mail Sport reported this week that Greenwood is ‘pining’ for a return to his home country, and believes that such a move would be possible because the ‘vitriol’ aimed at him during his time charged with domestic assault and afterwards has ‘died down’.
For the time being, Greenwood has two more matches – against Le Havre and Rennes – before the season’s conclusion with which to book his club’s spot at Europe’s top table next term.
The Riviera side sit second in the standings at present, but on 59 points they are just one point ahead of third-placed Monaco, and two ahead of rivals Nice, Lille, and Strasbourg.
