Mason Greenwood apologises for 'huge mistake' after breaching England's coronavirus protocol in Iceland

Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP8 September 2020

Mason Greenwood has followed Phil Foden in issuing a grovelling apology after the pair were dismissed from England duty for breaching the squad's bio-secure bubble.

In a statement, Greenwood described making his England debut in Saturday's 1-0 win over Iceland as "one of the proudest moments in my life" and labelled the decision to subsequently meet two Icelandic women in the team hotel with Foden as a "huge mistake".

He said he wanted to particularly apologise to England manager Gareth Southgate, who named him and Foden in the squad for the first time for the Nations League qualifiers against Iceland and Tuesday's clash with Denmark in Copenhagen.

The 18-year-old said: "Having now had the chance to reflect on what’s happened, I can only apologise to everyone for the embarrassment I have caused.

"It was irresponsible of me to break the Covid-19 protocols which are in place to protect players, staff and the public.

"In particular, I want to apologise to Gareth Southgate, for letting him down when he had shown great trust in me.

"Playing for England was one of the proudest moments in my life and I only have myself to blame for this huge mistake.

Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood made his senior international debut during England's 1-0 win over Iceland on Saturday
Getty Images

"I promise my family, the fans, Manchester United and England that this is a lesson I will learn from."