NEAL MAUPAY has insisted that he is just “having fun” on the pitch despite riling up his opponents.
The Brentford ace has received a reputation on the pitch as one of the “most disliked players” for his antics.
Maupay, 27, has had confrontations with Manchester City’s Kyle Walker and Tottenham’s James Maddison in recent weeks.
The striker mimicked Maddision’s darts celebration after scoring and had an argument with Walker on the pitch.
A professional lip reader claimed that Maupay spoke about the City’s stars children, but he has since denied that.
Maupay has insisted that if he did share what he said people “would laugh”.
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In response, Walker threatened to “knock out” the former Brighton and Hove Albion and Everton ace.
Maupay received a lot of criticism from pundits while fans put him down as one of the top Premier League “s***houses”.
However, the striker has defended himself and insisted that he is “just having fun”.
He told The Times: “People say footballers are boring, then all of a sudden a player does this and everyone goes, ‘Why, Neal?’ ‘He’s the most disliked player.’ Blah blah blah.
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“For me, football is a game, it’s entertainment.
“I’m just having fun and, on the pitch, I’m trying to do everything to win.
“If I can say something that puts you off or makes you overthink and make a mistake, I’ll do it.
“People don’t realise how much tension and emotion is involved at the highest level.
“I think it works quite well and if I can get a reaction, great.”
Maupay went on to claim that anything he says would not be “personal” and that he has “never crossed that line”.
He admits that he tries to “be on the edge”, but he would never say anything about a rival’s “private life or family”.
The striker has insisted that life on the pitch is not “real” and that people will “find a way to hate you”.
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Maupay’s antics have been going on for years and he was the recipient of death threats after accidentally injuring then-Arsenal stopper Bernd Leno before scoring a winning goal for the Seagulls in 2020.
This incident led Emiliano Martinez to be given a run in the Arsenal team, who has since gone on to win the World Cup with Argentina.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
