This should not be happening in the Premier League
Manchester United suffered a security scare last weekend after their dressing room at Aston Villa was bugged.
Team-talks and player instructions from Erik ten Hag were recorded.
A prankster claimed he hoodwinked stadium staff on the Friday before the game took place on the Sunday.
He was then able to sneak into the away dressing room to plant the device.
The shocking security breach has prompted Villa to launch an investigation into how the inner sanctuary of the dressing room was so easily invaded ahead of such a big game.
The device recorded several conversations between United manager Ten Hag and several of his United side during their goalless draw with Villa.
According to The Sun, the person at the centre of the prank used a phone from China that has a setting where a microphone can be activated by calling from another device.
The handset was taped out of sight in the United dressing room and wasn’t found when United staff set up the area ahead of the players’ arrivals on matchday.
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It was only rung when the prankster knew Ten Hag and his side would be there going through their pre-match routine.
A source told The Sun: “Serious questions will be asked as to how this was allowed to happen. Fortunately, there was nothing sinister to this incident.
“It was just a prankster, who’s actually a United fan, being silly and wanting to hear what was said inside those four walls.
“But it will definitely be a cause for concern about how they managed to get inside a changing room at one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs just days before a match.”
Ten Hag’s future at the Red Devils has been in doubt in recent weeks after a poor start to the Premier League season.
His side remain 14th in the Premier League, having taken just eight points from seven games.
However, Ten Hag does not seem fazed by the uncertainty surrounding his tenure, taking a holiday after the Villa game while co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe led a meeting of the club’s hierarchy on Tuesday to discuss several key points including the former Ajax boss’ future.
