Shell-shocked Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee was ‘reduced to tears’ after being jeered by his own fans during last night’s defeat against Newcastle.
The £36.5million summer signing was subbed off with just 33 minutes on the clock after the Premier League visitors stormed into an early 2-0 lead at Old Trafford. Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim decided to sacrifice the 23-year-old attacker for midfielder Kobbie Mainoo but Zirkzee was left humiliated when large sections of the home crowd booed and sarcastically cheered his number going up on the board midway through the first-half.
Zirkzee was clearly embarrassed at being brought off as he headed for the dugout, picked up his coat and headed straight down the tunnel. According to Bein Sports, the Dutchman had tears in his eyes as he made his way back to the changing room.
Man United legend Gary Neville was on co-comms for Sky Sports and couldn’t believe the reaction from the crowd, admitting: “I actually feel sorry for him, I really do. I know that he’s earning a lot of money here but there is a human being in there that’s basically being cheered off by his own fans and that is brutal. I’ve not seen that too many times at Old Trafford in the 43 years that I’ve been coming here.”
Amorim insisted the former Bologna star – who has four goals and two assists in 27 appearances for United – was hooked for tactical reasons after an awful half an hour by his crisis-hit team. The Portuguese told Sky Sports: “I talked with Josh about that, because it’s important to express the message, but I’m always thinking about the team, and, in that moment, it was important for the team [for] Josh [to] go out.
“You have to think about the team and also, sometimes about the player, because the player is suffering. I was there a few years ago and I know that he wants [it], because I saw it during the week, and that’s the most important thing.”
He added: “I felt that the team was suffering another midfielder to have more ball, and then we start to have more ball with Kobbie Mainoo. It was really, really, really tough on me to do that [substitution].”