Joshua Zirkzee 'seen with tears in his eyes' in Old Trafford tunnel as Man Utd forward left devastated by brutal crowd reaction to his early substitution vs Newcastle

Zirkzee lived through the most embarrassing moment of his career in United's loss to Newcastle. At 2-0 down, head coach Ruben Amorim made the decision to take off one of his striker's and as the Dutchman's name was announced, Old Trafford erupted into cheers following a poor cameo. Zirkzee was jeered as he made his way off before putting his coat on and darting down the tunnel in the corner of the pitch. According to The Daily Mail, the young forward was 'seen with tears in his eyes' in the tunnel as the crowd reaction left him visibly emotional.

Amorim sympathised with Zirkzee in his post-match press conference, admitting the former Bologna man was "struggling". He said: "I talked with Josh about that, because it's important to express the message, but I'm always thinking about the team, and, in that moment, it was important for the team for Josh to go out.

"You have to think about the team and also, sometimes about the player, because the player is suffering. I was there a few years ago and I know that he wants [it], because I saw it during the week, and that's the most important thing. He's a really good lad, so you'll have the support and you will prepare the next game."

Zirkzee was made the scapegoat for United's first-half performance against Newcastle but the truth is the entire team display was below par. The Magpies looked sharper in every department and the home side rarely had a sniff at goal, despite having two strikers on the pitch. The incident is more reflective of the general mood around United rather than the fans' opinion of a player who joined the club just a few months ago.

Amorim says Zirkzee will prepare for the next game but it remains to be seen whether he will use him for the huge clash at Liverpool on Sunday. The 23-year-old has scored just three goals in 19 Premier League appearances for United this term.