Gary Neville called it “a cowardly act.”
Tyrone Mings’ apparent stamp on Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s head when Manchester United hosted Bournemouth in March was one of last season’s biggest talking points.
United were held to a 1-1 draw by Eddie Howe’s side but the incident which inspired most of the discussion among pundits and fans was a coming-together between Ibrahimovic and Mings in first-half injury time.
Tempers flared between the players when Mings seemed to tread on the United forward’s head before, from a corner kick, Ibrahimovic landed an elbow on the young Cherries defender.
Mings was retrospectively punished for his stamp, with the FA hitting him with a five-game ban, and the player was not best pleased with that as he released a lengthy statement in response.
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Six months have passed since the incident but Mings’ name is still associated with the clash, given the unsightly nature of the footage.
In an interview with The Guardian this weekend, the 24-year-old was asked to cast his mind back to his memory of the stamp and he revealed that it was not until a comment from United boss Jose Mourinho that he realised how significant it was.
“I didn’t recognise up until half-time that it was even a big deal,” Mings said. “Because I hadn’t meant to do it, I didn’t feel like it would be a talking point. But I realised when [José] Mourinho came over when we were coming out for the start of the second half and started giving me some abuse, saying: ‘You think you’re clever. You’re going to get an eight-match ban.’
“I just brushed it off, but then the referee said something to me as the second half started, saying: ‘It will probably get reviewed.’ I said: ‘What will get reviewed?’ He said: ‘The stamp on his head.’ I was thinking: ‘I don’t need you to tell me that just as we’re about to start the second half.’ And then when I got into the dressing room after the game, someone checked their phone and told me just how big the coverage of the incident was.”
