Joshua Zirkzee was left in tears after being substituted just 33 minutes into Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle on Monday.
The Dutch forward was hauled off with United already 2-0 down, as manager Ruben Amorim sought to shift the balance in the match.
Zirkzee made way for Kobbie Mainoo, which was met with a cheer from the home crowd.
The £36million summer signing appeared shocked by the decision and quickly made his way toward the tunnel before returning to sit on the bench.
Tearfully walking through the tunnel, Zirkzee was visibly upset, reportedly after receiving jeers from United supporters, according to beIN Sports and Sky Germany.
Ex-United captain Gary Neville offered his sympathy to Joshua Zirkzee during the broadcast. As the forward’s number appeared on the board and the crowd began to boo, Neville said, “I have to feel sorry for him.
“He’s basically been cheered off by his own fans, and that is brutal.
“I’ve not seen that too many times at Old Trafford. It’s a tough one for him.
“I don’t suspect he went back to get a Lucozade.”
After the match, Amorim explained his decision to start Zirkzee and the subsequent substitution.
The 39-year-old manager explained that he needed to add more bodies in midfield, which led to the early change.
Amorim said: “Joshua is our player and we wanted more power in front. We’re often conceding the first goal from set pieces so we had more guys for set pieces.
“We are trying to cope with every problem in the team, but sometimes we have a lot of problems. So you push on one side and you leave the other one open.
“You have to think about the team, and sometimes about the player.
“The player is suffering and I was there myself a few years ago. I felt he and the team were suffering during the game and we needed another midfielder.
“It was tough on me to do that and I’ve talked with Josh about that because it’s important to relay the message.”
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