By Daniel Edu
Mason Greenwood, the embattled Manchester United and England footballer, has commenced his journey with Spanish La Liga club Getafe, accompanied by his girlfriend, Harriet Robson.
The 21-year-old English player was spotted training with his new teammates in Spain on September 5, as he prepares for his official unveiling as a Getafe player later in the evening at 6 p.m.
Greenwood had been away from competitive football since January 2022 when his girlfriend, Harriet Robson, made allegations of abuse against him on her Instagram page, sharing images, videos, and audio as evidence. This triggered a chain of events, with Manchester United suspending him indefinitely, the withdrawal of all his endorsement deals, and his brief imprisonment.
After legal proceedings, all charges against Greenwood were dropped in February 2023. However, Manchester United initiated a six-month internal investigation into the scandal, which concluded in August. Although he was not found guilty, the club decided to allow him to revive his career elsewhere due to the backlash from fans who protested against his return to Old Trafford.
While many clubs were hesitant to sign him, Getafe took a chance and secured him on loan. Reports suggest that the loan agreement includes a break clause in January, with Manchester United continuing to cover a significant portion of his wages while he plays in Spain.
Upon joining the club, Greenwood expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “I’m so happy to be here, and I can’t wait to get started.”
In contrast to his polarizing image in England, Getafe fans appear to be embracing Greenwood. Some have been seen wearing jerseys with his name on the back and showing support for him online and offline.
Notably, Greenwood’s girlfriend, Harriet Robson, who had accused him of abuse, has followed him to Spain, and they remain together. She even shared an Instagram story earlier in the day, wearing a Getafe jersey and watching from the stands at Coliseum Alfonso Pérez as Greenwood trained with his new team.
Following Getafe’s 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid last Saturday, reporters asked Getafe’s manager, Jose Bordalas, about Greenwood’s past scandal involving allegations of physical assault and attempted rape. Bordalas responded, “It is too delicate a situation to trivialize this issue. Everybody knows what happened, the appropriate measures were taken. We can only talk about football, about other issues, I think, that the people and the relevant systems did what they had to do, and everybody knows how it ended – without a condemnatory sentence. He’s a footballer of the highest level, who comes to Getafe with enormous hope. We are going to help him to recover his best level.”
Mason Greenwood is expected to make his debut for Getafe against Osasuna on Sunday, September 17, following the FIFA international break.
