NRL player torches Arsenal as girl let down in viral video

An NRL star has weighed in on the debate dividing the internet after a little girl was ignored in a video going viral.

Arsenal players didn't appear to say a word. Photo: Twitter, Arsenal.

The sporting world has been left divided over an ugly video where a little girl appeared to be completely ignored by Arsenal players.

The English Premier League players have been widely criticised for their cold behaviour towards the young girl as they walked past signing a shirt she was holding out for them.

One video of the moment was shared by Arsenal’s official Twitter page and it has sparked fierce debate with more than 60 million people viewing the clip.

The footage was captured before the club’s 2-2 draw to West Ham.

Mikel Arteta’s side were led out on to the pitch at the London Stadium by the young fan after she was picked to be their mascot for the day.

Earlier, as players arrived to their dressing room, the video showed each player stopped to sign the shirt, but it appeared that they didn’t offer one word or even make eye contact with their young supporter on the way through, The Sun reports.

The saga has since taken several turns with other video showing players embracing and sharing high-fives with the children as they stood alongside each other inside the stadium tunnel in the moments before they walked onto the field.

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Arsenal players didn't appear to say a word. Photo: Twitter, Arsenal.

However, a number of high profile commentators, including Piers Morgan, have since taken to social media to say the behaviour from the players still wasn’t good enough, considering the young girl was meeting her heroes.

There has also been stinging criticism of the club’s decision to caption the video: “Making memories with our mascot”.

Newcastle Knights playmaker Jackson Hastings on Tuesday night joined the debate on social media taking a shot at the players for their failure to acknowledge the young fan.

“Really? I thought making memories would be for at least one of them having the decency to say ‘hello’ or acknowledge the young girl,” he posted on Twitter.

Morgan, a die-hard Arsenal supporter, earlier posted: “Come on guys, at least one of you say hello to her?!!”

Fans were furious.

“Somebody please say hello to the poor girl,” one wrote.

Another said: “Look how much she loves Martin Odegaard - one smile and hello from him would have made her year!”

A fellow fan said: “Interaction with the girl makes memories not just signing a shirt.”

Another asked: “Not a single player fancy saying hello to her?”

“Look how much hope and adoration she has in her face and how much just a smile, nod and/or hello would have made her day,” wrote a fellow angry supporter.

“Absolutely blanked the poor kid,” commented another viewer of the clip.

Arsenal players walked past without saying hello. Photo: Twitter, Arsenal.

Another said: “Sad not one player even looks at the girl or acknowledges her.”

While another tweeted: “Memories of being blanked by your heroes.”

As another fumed: “Obviously too much of a stretch to say. ‘Hi thanks for being our mascot today.’”

The girl’s father has since taken to Twitter to insist she had a great afternoon, writing: “My daughter had a lovely time as mascot for Arsenal. There was only a small window to meet the players and she enjoyed it very much.

“[Martin] Odegaard is her favourite player so to hold his hand onto the pitch was very special.”

Earlier, football commentator and TalkSport TV host Laura Woods said it was a “bad look”.

TalkSport host and avid Arsenal fan Laura Woods admitted that it was a bad look.

But she also moved to add some more context to the debate after speaking with the club.

She said on talkSPORT Breakfast: “I agree, it doesn’t take a lot just to acknowledge somebody with a smile. I think that video is quite symptomatic of football and footballers now.”

Woods then added: “To add a little bit of context, I actually messaged the club because I think they thought ‘they all stopped and signed the shirt this is great’.

“Maybe that in itself is the problem that there’s now a disconnect between what you’re meant to do for those kinds of mascots.

Jackson Hastings. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

Bukayo Saka looks dejected on the pitch against West Ham. Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images.

“The club did say it’s part of a matchday experience so that’s not the only interaction she had with the players.

“She was a mascot, she went out on the pitch with them, she would have been on the pitch with them during warm-ups.

“I think there’s a lot of things we don’t see, but that’s not excusing that video because I watched it a couple of times over and in my head thought ‘oh wait was it cut off afterwards, maybe they did [acknowledge her]’ and I went back and watched it and they didn’t.

“Maybe it’s quite a good lesson, the reaction of the normal fans. It’s a pre-match routine and I get that, you’re in your bubble, but it doesn’t really take long just to make eye contact.

“I watched that little girl and the way she’s waiting for eye contact or any sort of acknowledgement.

“The Young Gunners get these incredible experiences so I’m hoping somewhere else along the line she had a great day and got that interaction but in that moment, what does it take to just say hi?”

Fellow talkSPORT host Ally McCoist then added: “I thought it was shocking, I’ve been saying for a while now the gap between a footballer and the fan is bigger than it’s ever been.

“That was agony watching that, I was watching it thinking someone must give her a pat on the head or something, but nothing.”

Originally published as NRL player torches Arsenal as girl let down in viral video