Scott McTominay is BLASTED by animal rights charities after playing tug-of-war with a TIGER

Scott McTominay has drawn fire from a host of Animal Rights charities after his exploits in Dubai, after images surfaced of him playing tug of war with a tiger.

The Manchester United midfielder has been spending his time off ahead of the Premier League restart in Dubai with his partner, but has come in for scathing criticism after a visit to a private exotic farm.

It has been a far from quiet mid-season break for United, and co-owner Avram Grant is reportedly set to hold talks with potential investors while attending the World Cup final, and strong links with a move for PSV's Cody Gakpo intensifying.

The Scottish star posed with several animals, including a bear, giants snakes and reptiles, as well as the tiger, with his interactions with the big cat attracting particularly negative feedback.

'Facilities excuse their "human versus beast experiences", like tug-of-war, as helpful for welfare by mimicking natural behaviours,' Wendy Higgins, of the Humane Society International.

'But that merely acknowledges that ­captive life limits the lives of these ­animals such that they are forced to participate in demeaning spectacles.

'Big cat cub petting is never OK from an animal welfare or human safety perspective, and facilities that offer ­interactions fall far short of ethical standards.'

But the Humane Society International (HSI) are not the only organisation to raise their voices in the face of the growing trend of sportspeople visiting similar exotic farms.

The likes of football star Lionel Messi and British boxing icon Anthony Joshua have both paid visit to the same farm, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, John Stones and Patrice Evra also visiting the Belhasa farm in the past.

World Animal Protection's Katheryn Wise stated: 'It's disappointing. These incredible animals are not commodities to gain likes on social media.

'Captive wild animals face a lifetime of suffering, just for the enjoyment of tourists. Wild animals are not ours to exploit. They belong in the wild.'

And Four Paws have weighed in too, with Sonul Badiani-Hammett adding: 'It is so upsetting to see someone who so many ­people look up to acting in this way.'