Ex-Man Utd star Greenwood heading back to England to continue rehabilitation

Mason Greenwood became a pariah in England and fled to France, but now he's heading back with Marseille for a Champions League showdown with Newcastle at St James' Park

Mason Greenwood will come up against some familiar faces tonight And a lot has changed since he last kicked a football against Newcastle United.

Back in 2021, Greenwood was part of the Manchester United side which earned a 1-1 draw at St James' Park just after Christmas.

Little did Greenwood know at the time, but he would go on to make just six more appearances for United before his career came to a shuddering halt. In January 2022, Greenwood was arrested on suspicion of attempted rape and assault. And subsequently hit with various charges.

United were swift to act, and suspended Greenwood from training and matches. The suspension would last 18 months.

It would also include a long, secretive and often flawed internal club review into the circumstances, led by the club's chief legal officer Patrick Stewart, once it was announced legal proceedings against Greenwood had been dropped.

Greenwood had remained on full pay, and told those close to him he deserved to be recalled to the squad. He hadn't been found guilty of anything, after all.

Senior figures at United decided there were no grounds to terminate his contract. United even considered if the striker could be reintegrated back into the first team squad. The public backlash was intense once the revelation leaked out. United had scored the mother of own goals.

Yet United believed they had a "duty of care" to someone who had been at the club since the age of seven. There was also no escaping the conclusion Greenwood remained a gifted goalscorer.

But opposition to Greenwood pulling on a United shirt again continued to grow, with politicians and other personalities getting involved. United consulted stakeholders, including sponsors, supporters and the women's team, before deciding Greenwood would have to leave.

United had arrived at the right decision, but reached it in the wrong way. So Greenwood started the process of rehabilitation elsewhere.

And via a loan spell in Getafe, this now sees Greenwood take on Newcastle for Marseille in the Champions League. It will be his first competitive game against English opponents since his career was turned upside down.

Yet Greenwood appears to have found an even keel in the south of France. He has plundered 11 goals in 16 games for Marseille this season, while last season he finished joint top of the scoring charts alongside PSG's Ousmane Dembele.

Considering Dembele went on to win the Ballon d'Or, Greenwood is keeping some elite company once again. In France at least, the man who became the pariah of English football is feeling like a hero again.

Marseille bosses and supporters have no interest in focusing on Greenwood's past. The only judgment made is on his football, while his shirt is one of the most popular sold in the club shop outside the Stade Velodrome.

Greenwood himself has kept his head down. He does little media and is keen to focus on being the best footballer he can be while in exile. Marseille paid United £27.5m for Greenwood at the start of last season.

And estimates suggest Greenwood is now worth double this, with reports claiming AC Milan and Barcelona are considering a move for him next summer.

In the meantime, Greenwood will rock up the Stade Velodrome more desperate than ever to remind a nation which turned its back on him, just what he's still capable of with a ball at his talented feet.