Arsenal have responded to Mesut Ozil’s stunning offer to pay the wages of club mascot Gunnersaurus by insisting the world’s most notorious footballing dinosaur will return to work once the Emirates Stadium is open for business again.
Jerry Quy, the man who has entertained fans of the club by donning the iconic green costume since 1993, was effectively made redundant earlier this week as a consequence of the covid-19 pandemic which has prevented supporters from attending home matches since early March.
Ozil, who has been frozen out of the first team picture by manager Mikel Arteta, is the club’s highest earning player on £350,000-a-week and refused to join the rest of his team-mates by taking a 12.5% pay cut during the national lockdown.
Arsenal announced their decision to make 55 staff redundant earlier this summer, but Ozil has seemingly chosen to ride to the rescue of Quy and promised to pay his wages for as long as he is still employed the club.
He wrote on Instagram: ‘I was so sad that Jerry Quy aka our famous & loyal mascot @Gunnersaurus and integral part of our club was being made redundant after 27 years.
‘As such, I’m offering to reimburse @Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player…’
Responding to Ozil’s act of kindness, an Arsenal spokeperson told ESPN: ‘Gunnersaurus is not extinct and will return to action when fans are allowed back at matches.’
The likes of super fan Piers Morgan have reacted to Quy’s demise by calling out the club they support, with the GMB presenter tweeting yesterday: ‘You’re going nowhere @Gunnersaurus. I refuse to let @Arsenal sack you. Come on @m8arteta @Aubameyang7 – this is not what our club is about. #savegunnersaurus,’
