Though Mason Greenwood has left behind the bright lights of Old Trafford and Manchester United, he’s unlikely to be making his debut for La Liga outfit, Getafe, anytime soon.
The disgraced 21-year-old, sent packing to Spain after the uproar over the news that the Red Devils were planning to reintegrate him back into the first team despite accusations – later dropped – of domestic violence, would surely have been hoping to get his football career back on track as soon as possible, however, Getafe manager, Jose Bordalas, has put paid to that for now.
“There’s great expectation to see him. He’s been a year and a half without competing, at a standstill, and he is in that period of adaptation and of catching up with his teammates,” he said in his pre-match press conference for the match against Osasuna, quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
“We have to be patient and look after him. Day by day he will tell us when he is ready to compete. We have to have patience, calm and tranquillity
“We know the potential and the level he has. I don’t like to talk on an individual level but his teammates are helping him a lot. The dressing room has welcomed him with open arms, just like the rest of the new players, and everyone has felt the warmth of the group.”
If football as a whole is going to get to the point where Greenwood is accepted back into the fold, then sooner or later he will need to pull on a shirt in earnest again.
The reception he gets at away grounds in Spain, where many visiting fans rarely make the longer trips, will be interesting to note.
If the general consensus on the continent is the same as it has been in the UK with regards to Greenwood’s future, then Man United may think twice about testing the waters again next season.
There’s little doubt that the former England international is a special player, but the clubs also have a moral duty to uphold in this case.