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'I can't believe stories about him not being professional' - Solskjaer on Greenwood

RESENDING WITH UPDATED CONTENT

VIDEO SHOWS: MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER TALKING ABOUT FORWARD MASON GREENWOOD

SHOWS:

BURTON-ON-TRENT, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 4, 2020) (FATV - MUST CREDIT FATV)

1. MASON GREENWOOD TRAINING WITH THE ENGLAND TEAM

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (OCTOBER 23, 2020) (MUTV - MUST COURTESY "MUTV". DO NOT OBSCURE LOGO. NO RESALES)

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) REPORTER ASKING MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER ABOUT FORWARD MASON GREENWOOD WHO WAS SENT HOME BY THE ENGLAND MANAGER FOR MISCONDUCT:

"Ole, are you a little bit concerned that he's (Mason Greenwood) making a bit of a target for himself?"

SOLSKJAER: "Who's making a target of himself - Mason?"

REPORTER: "Yes."

SOLSKJAER: "Well, you do when you play well and I'm not concerned at all with Mason making a target of himself because he's come in, he's played fantastic, played his first league game against Tottenham last season, was brilliant and just kicked on. He's, yes, he's made a mistake this summer with England and suddenly the whole English press go after him, and that's something we've got to look after.

"He's a fantastic boy to work with, I have to disappoint you, he's never ever late for training, never a problem when he's in the training ground. He's always on time, I've seen the stories, there are actually some ex-United players talking about him and they don't really know anything they're talking about. Well, we've got photographers outside the training ground every day, so they can see he's on time every day, so I don't know where these stories have come from. And I've just got to say he's got a good family behind him, he's had a good background in the academy and up, and he's a good trainer. He trains really well and I cannot believe all these stories about him not being professional.

"So, anyway, that's something that we have to deal with, many players, many other players at United have had that."

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (OCTOBER 19, 2020) (MUTV - MUST COURTESY "MUTV". DO NOT OBSCURE LOGO. NO RESALES)

3. MASON GREENWOOD (RIGHT) TRAINING WITH MANCHESTER UNITED (MUTE)

4. OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER WATCHING (MUTE)

5. MASON GREENWOOD IN CENTRE OF TRAINING SESSION WITH MANCHESTER UNITED (MUTE)

STORY: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defended his young forward Mason Greenwood saying "I cannot believe all these stories about him not being professional" following media reports about the 19-year-old's behaviour.

Greenwood hit the headlines in September when he was dropped from the England squad along with Manchester City's Phil Foden when they were found to have breached quarantine guidelines following a Nations League match against Iceland in Reykjavik in which both players made their international debuts.

Speaking on Friday (October 23) on the eve of United's Premier League match against Chelsea, Solskjaer admitted that Greenwood had "made a mistake" while with the England squad, but said that he could not believe media reports that the youngster was late for training and not professional, adding that he is "never a problem when he's in the training ground".

Greenwood made a sensational breakthrough for United last season and has already scored ten goals in just 37 appearances for the club.

(Production: Mike Brock)