Hannibal Mejbri may have left Manchester United in the summer but what he did for new club Burnley at Elland Road on Saturday will still have put a smile on United fans’ faces.
The Clarets came out on top against Leeds United, beating United’s historic rivals 1-0 on their own turf.
Hannibal put in a typically combative shift and picked up a yellow card, but it was his off-pitch antics following his 73rd-minute substitution that caught the eye of United fans.
After leaving the pitch at the nearest point, Hannibal first celebrated with the travelling fans before turning his attention to the home support behind the goal.
The Tunisian had already gestured at them as he passed them by, but took that a step further before heading to the dugout, twice spreading his arms wide while walking backwards to goad the Leeds support.
Hannibal is rent free in every Leeds fans head. pic.twitter.com/EoR779o59u
— Jacob (@JacobHorsfall_) September 14, 2024
Hannibal is a natural at connecting with the fans, with his all-action approach on the pitch always going down well.
In particular, his cameo at Anfield two years ago was one of the only highlights as United fell to a harrowing 0-4 defeat.
Despite spending less than ten minutes on the field, the midfielder launched into some crunching tackles which picked him up a yellow card but gave the beleaguered travelling support something to cheer about.
Ultimately his spell at Old Trafford never really got going, as he managed only 13 first-team appearances in three years.
He netted a solitary goal when United lost 1-3 at Brighton and Hove Albion last season.
United paid big money for Hannibal, thrashing out a deal with Monaco worth €10m for his signature when he was just 16.
After loan spells at Birmingham City and Sevilla he completed a £9.5m transfer to Burnley during the summer transfer window.
United inserted a sell-on clause and a buy-back option into the deal.
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