31.01.2025 17:00
Manchester City player James McAtee decided at the last moment not to give a jersey to a child after a Champions League match. Noticing that the child was wearing a jacket with the Sheffield Wednesday emblem, McAtee refused to give the jersey, saying, "I hate Sheffield Wednesday." The child's mother criticized McAtee's attitude, expressing her outrage.
Manchester City's 22-year-old footballer James McAtee decided not to give a jersey to a child after the Champions League match on Wednesday evening.
"I HATE SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY"
James McAtee noticed a young fan while leaving the stadium in his car after the Club Brugge match in the Champions League. The footballer stopped his car and asked a staff member to give the jersey he was holding to the child. However, after seeing that the 10-year-old boy was wearing a jacket with the Sheffield Wednesday emblem, McAtee changed his mind. The footballer said, "Oh no. He's wearing a Sheffield Wednesday top. I hate Sheffield Wednesday," and drove away without giving the jersey to the child.
THE CHILD'S MOTHER RESPONDED: EMBARRASSING
The 10-year-old boy's mother, Chantelle Howard from Oaklan, lashed out at James McAtee. According to a report in the Daily Mail, the mother expressed her reaction to the Manchester City player in a Facebook post with the following words:
"Imagine you braved the freezing cold and traveled all that way after watching the Champions League match, just for it to ruin your 10-year-old football-loving child's birthday night. James McAtee had the chance to make my son's birthday unforgettable - he could have given him his jersey, and you should have seen the pure joy on the children's faces! But then, when it came to Oaklan, he changed his mind... all because of the Sheffield Wednesday emblem on Oaklan's jacket. It didn't matter that he was dressed head to toe in Man City gear; he had spent all his birthday money at the club shop that night. Kids admire their idols, whether they support a local team or one of the biggest in the world. Not everyone can go to the Etihad every week, but that doesn't make them any less of a fan. Moments like this shape how young fans see the game and their heroes. It's embarrassing that football forgets what really matters."