Out of favour Mesut Ozil is riding to the rescue of the redundant Gunnersaurus as he offers to pay the mascot’s wages in full if the club reinstates him.
Jerry Quy, the man inside the giant green costume, has been made redundant by Arsenal after serving as the dinosaur mascot for 27 years.
The club insisted the move was a necessary cost-cutting measure amid the coronavirus crisis and with the mascot out of action as fans are not allowed into the Emirates.
However, Quy may be back in a job thanks to Ozil, who has offered to pay his salary if he is brought back into the fold, while ever the German remains an Arsenal player.
Ozil posted on Instagram: ‘I was so sad that Jerry Quy aka our famous & loyal mascot @officialgunnersaurus and integral part of our club was being made redundant after 27 years. ‘As such, I’m offering to reimburse @Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player so Jerry can continue his job that he loves so much. ❤️??
I was so sad that Jerry Quy aka our famous & loyal mascot @Gunnersaurus and integral part of our club was being made redundant after 27 years. As such, I’m offering to reimburse @Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player… pic.twitter.com/IfWN38x62z
— Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) October 6, 2020
Ozil, who earns £350,000-a-week, tweeted on Tuesday afternoon: ‘I was so sad that Jerry Quy aka out famous & loyal mascot @Gunnersaurus and integral part of out club was being made redundant after 27 years.
‘As such, I’m offering to reimburse @Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player so Jerry can continue his job that he loves so much. #JusticeForGunnersaurus #M1Ö #YaGunnersYa.’
Celebrity Arsenal fan Piers Morgan responded to Ozil’s tweet in humorous fashion, saying: ‘BREAKING: Ozil finally puts a shift in.’
In response, an Arsenal spokesperson said: ‘Gunnersaurus is not extinct and will return to action when fans are allowed back at matches.’
Morgan had led the outcry against the decision, calling for Arsenal to reverse their decision and pleading with boss Mikel Arteta and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to intervene.
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And he has now been joined by This Morning presenter Willoughby and comedian Whitehall in trying to stop the mascot becoming ‘extinct’.
