Arsenal mascot Gunnersaurus has made his first public appearance since the man inside the costume was made redundant by the club last month.
Jerry Quy has portrayed Gunnersaurus for the past 27 years, but was made redundant as part of a job-cutting scheme implemented by Arsenal in the summer – inspiring fundraisers and an offer for his wages to be paid in full by Gunners midfielder Mesut Ozil.
On Tuesday the character’s Twitter account posted a photo from the Emirates Stadium, but it is uncertain who is playing Gunnersaurus in the image.
The PA news agency understands there is a roster of people now filling the role of Gunnersaurus and the club offered Quy to be a part of this.
An Arsenal spokesperson said: “As we’ve always said Gunnersaurus is an important part of Arsenal and a popular figure for our fans around the world.
“Gunner never went away but due to the virus restrictions there have been limited opportunities for him to appear in public.”
The post received over 40,000 likes less than an hour after being posted, with many fans appearing to believe the mascot itself had been set not to return and welcoming him back.
“Happy to see you back where you belong,” tweeted Ozil.
The German, who reportedly earns £350,000-a-week, offered in October to pay for the “famous and loyal mascot” to continue as long as he plays for Arsenal.
The gesture drew praise from plenty, including Labour leader and Gunners fan Sir Keir Starmer.
“That’s the kind of message footballers should be sending,” said the Labour leader’s spokesman.
“Keir is a passionate supporter of Arsenal and he was disappointed by the club’s decision.
“All football clubs, particularly those wealthier clubs, at this difficult time should be showing how they are supporting their staff.
“Football clubs need to demonstrate the values that have come out so strongly during this pandemic, which is compassion, decency and fairness, and we hope all the clubs take this on board.”
