MASON GREENWOOD is a topic people have dodged for too long.
Without the enormous social and moral issue attached to Greenwood, he would not only be in the England squad, but starting for .
Mason Greenwood has only earned one cap for EnglandCredit: AFP
Thomas Tuchel has opted against recalling the forwardCredit: Getty
There is no need to argue that he is a good footballer, he is sensational and has only been improving season by season since he left under a huge cloud.
The problem, of course, is that this is absolutely not a case where you can simply stick to and ignore the problem as the game so often does.
After , then 21, was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, those charges – which he denied – were dropped when a key witness withdrew themselves.
There was no route back at United, that is not what .
In France, Greenwood is not only thriving on the pitch but – from the outside – appears to have settled into a quiet personal life.
He is a father and has a family with his partner. Football cannot be a place where people are written off after mistakes, alleged or not, in their younger years.
This is not to dismiss the seriousness of those allegations. Greenwood will live with them forever.
In truth, he does not owe an explanation to football supporters. It is his friends and family he must prove himself to.
But, if he wants an return, he must address it in public – prove he is worthy of wearing the England shirt, show he can be trusted.
Rebuilding trust is the only way this can ever happen and it is an incredibly hard thing to achieve.
It would be taxing on Greenwood himself having to face such justified scrutiny.
That is the only way England and would allow Greenwood, who has just one cap, to come back into the Three Lions fold.
If Greenwood can face that and come through it. he deserves a second chance with England.
If there was to be no way back whatsoever, the game is setting a dangerous precedent.
Mason Greenwood’s sole cap came against IcelandCredit: Shutterstock
Harry Kane is the leading scorer for the Three Lions with 78 goalsCredit: Getty
Sending a message that any mistake in your personal life rules you out for good.
Whether he wants that chance is another question altogether.
It may seem unsavoury, but Greenwood – the top scorer in France’s – is well regarded by Marseille fans for what he has done on the pitch.
He is a world away from the whirlwind of two or three years ago.
Greenwood and his family must consider if stepping back into the England spotlight is worth it on a personal level.
Because on a purely footballing level, there is no doubting what he could do.
Greenwood may not have been on the scoresheet against , but he was everywhere else, threatening and creating.
If he were a bang average player there would be no need for a debate. But he is phenomenal and that can create a problem for England.
Looking at the current England squad, he would solve a number of problems for .
Greenwood could play anywhere across the forward line and be a real threat from any of those positions.
There would no longer be worries about what happens without , Greenwood starts.
A number of players who have made squads recently would no longer be in consideration if they were up against Greenwood.
The awkward truth, too, is that should he come back – many would not care.
If England are ruthlessly looking for any way to win, they would bring him back into the fold.
Were Greenwood to return in March, face all the noise but contribute and impress, there would be every chance he goes to the World Cup.
What, then, happens if Tuchel turns to him in a World Cup final, and Greenwood scores the goal that wins it for England.
Would fans celebrate? Of course they would.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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