After making his Manchester United debut in 2019, Mason Greenwood became one of the Premier League’s brightest young talents, but a dark cloud descended over his career.

Mason Greenwood is an English forward who plays for Olympique Marseille in Ligue 1.

Just two years on from his professional debut, the teenager was already becoming known for his blistering pace, clinical finishing and his ability to play anywhere across the front three.

The 20-year-old has grew into a crucial first team player at Old Trafford and forced his way into Gareth Southgate's England team - collecting his first cap in the Nations League match against Iceland in September 2020.

United sent Greenwood to Spanish side Getafe on loan for the 2023/24 season and then he was sold to Marseille in July 2024 in a deal worth 31.6 million euro (£26.6m).

An academy star

Greenwood first joined Manchester United aged six. He opted to sign with the club over local side Bradford City where he had spent time training with the Under-10s despite being almost half the age of his team-mates.

After committing to United he quickly rose through the ranks, eventually joining up with the club's Under-18s team aged 16.

Greenwood proved to be the side's standout player despite the age gap and finished as the team's top scorer in the Under-18 Premier League North with 17 goals.

However, it was not just his pure goalscoring ability that made Greenwood a star of the Red Devils' youth set-up. He also showed an improvement in his all-round performance, earning the Player of the Tournament award in the 2018 IGCT Trophy.

Greenwood also showed promise on the international stage, making 16 appearances and scoring three goals for various England national youth teams between the ages of 14 and 18.

In October 2018, a day after his 17th birthday, Greenwood was rewarded with his first professional contract by then-United manager Jose Mourinho.

 

Greenwood's first-team breakthrough

Greenwood would not have to wait too long to get his first taste of competitive first-team soccer, making his debut as an 87th-minute substitute during Manchester United's miraculous Champions League win against Paris Saint-Germain in March 2019.

At just 17 years and 156 days, Greenwood's appearance made him the second youngest player to represent the club in a European competition.

His Premier League debut would follow just four days later, with Greenwood coming off the bench in a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal.

The youngster would have to wait until the final day of the 2018/19 season to be given his first Premier League start, getting the nod from manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to line-up against Cardiff City in another 2-0 loss.

The following season saw Greenwood's real breakthrough, with the forward appearing in all four of United's opening Premier League fixtures.

United's new star rewarded Solskjaer's faith by netting his first competitive senior goal on September 19 against Astana in the Europa League.

Greenwood also enjoyed a spectacular month in November 2019, grabbing a goal and assist against Partizan Belgrade before scoring his first Premier League goal in a 3-3 draw against Sheffield United.

Greenwood maintained his good early-season form, scoring 17 goals from 47 games in all competitions.

 

Greenwood's impressive start at Man Utd derails

In September 2020, Greenwood was given Manchester United's famous No. 11 shirt, the number worn by club legend and all-time record appearance-maker Ryan Giggs for over two decades.

The pressure of his new number hardly fazed the 18-year-old, and Greenwood went on to score his first ever Champions League goal just weeks later in a 5-0 thrashing of RB Leipzig.

He was also nominated for his first Premier League Player of the Month award in April 2021 after a string of stellar performances saw him net four in four games - though he lost out on the award to team-mate and West Ham loanee Jesse Lingard.

Greenwood featured in the 2021 Europa League final which saw Manchester United face Villarreal in Gdansk.

However, he was substituted in the 100th minute as United went on to lose via a penalty shootout.

Despite featuring in more games, Greenwood saw his goal tally fall in comparison to the 2019/20 season, but the young talent still managed an impressive 12 goals across all competitions.

His slight dip in form led to him missing out on a place in Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2020.

However, spurred by the snub, Greenwood scored in all three of the Manchester United's opening Premier League games in 2021/22, earning the club's Player of the Month award for August.

He netted six goals in 24 appearances across all competitions before his season was cut short after he was arrested for allegations of attempted rape and assault. His last game for the club came against West Ham on January 22nd 2022.

Greenwood was suspended by United on January 30, 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.

He faced charges including attempted rape and assault, but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February 2023 that the case had been discontinued.

United sent Greenwood to Spanish Getafe for the 2023/24 season, where he scored ten goals in 36 appearances across all competitions.

United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe had said in February 2024 that the club would take a decision on Greenwood’s future in the summer, and “justify it one way or the other”.

On July 19, 2024, Greenwood was sold to Marseille in a 31.6 million euro (£26.6m) deal, with the Premier League club set to receive a sizeable share of any sell-on for the 22-year-old striker.

He had made 129 appearances and scored 35 goals for Manchester United since making his debut in 2019.

 

Personal life

Greenwood grew up in the Wibsey area of Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Pace clearly runs through the Greenwood family - Mason's sister Ashton was a promising track runner who represented Great Britain.

 

Net worth

Greenwood's current net worth is unclear though it is believed that his wage is currently around £75,000 per week.