Soccer Star Steps Up to Help Out Mascot

Mesut Ozil of Arsenal offers to cover salary of laid-off 'Gunnersaurus'
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 7, 2020 12:33 PM CDT
Soccer Star Offers to Cover Salary of Laid-Off Mascot
Gunnersaurus Rex may not be out of a job after all.   (AP Photo/Joseph Nair, File)

The UK soccer team Arsenal announced a plan to trim 55 jobs as part of coronavirus cutbacks, but one layoff in particular was making waves. The team said that its beloved mascot of 27 years, Gunnersaurus Rex, was among those on the chopping block. More specifically, Jerry Quy, who has been in the costume since day one, was to lose his job. But now it appears that Gunnersaurus (and Quy) may be able to stay after all, reports NPR. Star player Mesut Ozil has offered to cover the full salary.

"I was so sad that Jerry Quy aka our famous & loyal mascot @Gunnersaurus and integral part of our club was being made redundant after 27 years," Özil tweeted Tuesday. "As such, I'm offering to reimburse @Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player." The team has not said whether it will accept the offer, but the optics won't be great if it declines, notes the New York Times. Team owner Stan Kroenke, whose net worth is more than $8 billion, shelled out $58 million to sign a midfielder the same day the job cuts were announced. (More uplifting news stories.)

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