'Neal Maupay spat with entitled Everton fans shows everything that is wrong with modern football'
Neal Maupay broke rank in responding to the abuse
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Footballers are no strangers to receiving verbal abuse from their own fanbase when things aren't going well and the expectation is for them to shut up and take it.
In the eyes of many, their sky-high wages give fans a free pass to verbally attack anybody in the squad they feel is not performing to their standards.
It's a weekly occurence and something that has now firmly been embedded in the fabric of modern-day football.
'Shut up and dribble' in the infamous words of Laura Ingraham.
Neal Maupay broke rank in responding to the abuse
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Most footballers have been able to bite their tongue, largely out of fear of recrimination from their own fanbase.
Neal Maupay has proven to be an outlier in that respect though as he's not afraid to speak his mind when fans overstep the mark.
It's been a slow start to the new season for Everton and they sit bottom of the table having lost both their opening games and conceded seven goals in the process.
Mood around the club has quickly turned toxic to start the campaign and a number of travelling Everton fans hung around London Euston to speak their mind to the playing squad as they headed back up north.
The players were subject to foul-mouthed abuse with supporters heard shouting 'f*** off you f***ing w****r."
Most walked on while trying to ignore the supporters but Maupay, who has never been afraid to speak his mind, appeared to recite the abuse back at the Everton fans.
The clip soon went viral on social media with Everton supporters beginning to pile on Maupay for daring to speak back.
The 28-year-old went one step further by calling out the abuse on social media.
"Imagine another job where it’s normalised to get abuse like this," he wrote.
"Hanging around at a train station to scream at men who are trying their best…"
Neal Maupay has never been afraid to speak his mind
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Predictably, his post went down like a lead balloon with football fans from all over the country.
One response that was like over 450 times read: "Which other job pays as much as this? it’s what comes with it, shut up and endure. do the talking on the pitch keyboard warrior."
Another ironically posted: "If you can't take it don't dish it."
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A third simply replied: "Cry baby."
Social media is a cesspit for footballers to try and navigate at the best of times let alone when things aren't going right for a club or a specific player.
Marcus Rashford and Dele Alli have both emotionally detailed the struggles they've faced following abuse on social media.
But the latest viral video of Everton's squad being targeted by an entitled number of fans and the response to Maupay's post highlights the worst thing about modern football today.