Out-of-favor Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil wants to save Gunnersaurus from extinction. Ozil expressed sadness on Tuesday after discovering that Jerry Quy - the man who fills the Arsenal dinosaur mascot - was made redundant by the London club after 27 years.
"I'm offering to reimburse @Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player," Ozil wrote on social media, "so Jerry can continue his job that he loves so much." Ozil, who used the hashtag that read out "Justice for Gunnersaurus," is one of Arsenal's top-earning players - on more than $20 million a year.
But the German has not played since March, with Arsenal unable to offload him while trying to make cuts due to the financial impact of the pandemic.
Quy, the man behind the most beloved part of the team, has been around since 1993. And he became the latest victim of cost-cutting in the club amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Athletic reported that the mascot will return but the chances of Quy return are less and he will have to hang up his suit for now.
Quy even missed his brother's wedding to dress up as the dinosaur at Arsenal's home match.
Quy who has been an Arsenal fan since 1963 has worked with Junior Gunners and the Travel Club.
It is an extremely emotional moment for fans as they see their favourite mascot leave the club. As soon as the news broke, fans penned down emotional messages for Quy and his work. Furious, sad, exasperated - the fans felt many emotions which probably only an Arsenal fan would understand. But one thing is sure that the news left all of them teary-eyed.
