‘Greenwood is a Good Boy’ — Getafe Manager Bordalas happy with Manchester United loanee

Getafe manager Jose Bordalas expressed his satisfaction with Manchester United loanee Mason Greenwood, highlighting the player's talent and positive adaptation to the team.

Greenwood, who joined Getafe on loan from the Red Devils, who froze him out of the team following allegations of physical and sexual abuse, has been making strides in La Liga, impressing the coaching staff and fans alike.

Bordalas, whose team has enjoyed the English forward’s impact this season, spoke glowingly about the Manchester United loanee, telling Marca, “Greenwood is a different player, with a lot of talent, but in this football, talent is not the main thing. It takes more work than talent.

“When he is at 100%, we will be able to see his real level, but he has the quality to play at any big club.”

Managing Greenwood's return to peak performance after over a year without playing or training with a team required patience and a measured approach, according to Bordalas. The Getafe manager emphasized that they were confident in Greenwood's abilities and took a calculated risk by signing him.

“Being able to go for a player of this level at Getafe is complicated, almost impossible. And well, given the situation, we took a gamble on him. We are happy and content because we have a great player; he is a good boy, he has fitted in really well, and he just needs to learn a little more Spanish,” Bordalas added.

Addressing concerns related to Greenwood's reputation, particularly regarding alleged domestic abuse accusations that kept the Manchester United forward out of action for more than a year, Bordalas emphasised that Getafe were willing to take a chance on the talented player when other clubs hesitated.

He said, “A friend called me to tell me about this possibility, and at first, we thought it wasn’t real, but he confirmed that it was. There were conversations; he had other possibilities to play like in Serie A, but there were many clubs that did not dare because of what had happened and so on. In the end, with a lot of effort and difficulty, we all managed to get him to come to Getafe.”

Comparing Greenwood with other English talents in La Liga, such as Jude Bellingham, Bordalas acknowledged the attention Bellingham has received but urged understanding for Greenwood's situation.

“We have to be a little more understanding with Mason because it is not easy to spend the time he has practically not training. I know of cases of kids that I have had, who left football because they had emotional problems and were never able to play again because you disconnect, you lose your place and then it’s very difficult for you. 

"It is very impressive that after being out for so long he has recovered and is helping us.”

So far, Greenwood has contributed five goals and four assists in 15 appearances for Getafe in all competitions and appears to be hitting form at the right time with the business end of the 2023/24 season and the 2024 European Championships in tow.