9 big-name players who were infamously booed by their own supporters

Joshua Zirkzee has become the latest in a long line of footballers booed by their own supporters after he was substituted in the first half of Manchester United’s match with Newcastle in December 2024.

Zirkzee was hooked in the first half with United losing 2-0 and headed straight to the dressing room after being jeered by the home supporters at Old Trafford.

We’ve trawled through the archives and picked out nine big-name players who were infamously booed by their own supporters.

Emmanuel Eboue

Brutal, this one.

Eboue endured a nightmare cameo as a substitute during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Wigan in 2008 and his departure from the field was cheered by a loud part of the Emirates crowd.

“I was very surprised by that reaction of the fans,’ Eboue told the Daily Telegraph years later. “The whole team was playing bad that day but we still won 1-0. All of us played badly. I don’t know why it was only me.

“When you are a footballer and your own fans boo you, it’s very bad, your confidence goes. After that happened I said to Arsene Wenger, “I don’t want to come in any more for training because I feel bad”.

“I got back home and I was crying. But the same week some of the fans came to the club to say sorry to me about that. That was very nice. It meant a lot. “Eboue, don’t listen,” they said. “You know we love you.”‘

Harry Maguire

A regular target for England boo-boys after becoming a meme at Manchester United, Maguire was jeered during a friendly against Ivory Coast in 2022.

Despite being booed when his name was read out pre-match and in the early stages of the game, Maguire played the full 90 minutes and helped England to a 3-0 victory.

“We’ve worked hard to rebuild our connection with England fans in the last few years so to hear Harry booed at Wembley before kick-off was just not right,” Harry Kane tweeted afterwards. ​

“The fact that he’s been brilliant on the pitch and given us all so many great memories makes it even harder to understand.

“He doesn’t deserve that reception. He’s got full support in the changing room and should have the same from every England fan.”​

Lionel Messi

Both Messi and Neymar were booed by PSG Ultras during a Ligue 1 match with Bordeaux in March 2022.

The two generational talents were targeted by PSG supporters after their side threw away a commanding lead to crash out of the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid a few days earlier.

Messi was also ordered to quit the club in graffiti scrawled on the club’s training ground, showing that simply nobody is safe from the scorn of entitled football fans.

Granit Xhaka

Xhaka was subjected to continued abuse from Arsenal fans in 2019 while he served as captain during the dying days of the Unai Emery era.

The Switzerland midfielder infamously lost his rag after being subbed off during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace and told the home supporters to do one with Teutonic oaths.

Unsurprisingly, Xhaka was stripped of the captaincy after the incident. More surprisingly, he went on to revive his Arsenal career and left as a cult hero four years later.

Wayne Rooney

Rightly remembered as an England hero, Rooney was still the target of dissatisfied booing during the final days of his international career.

In the aftermath of the Three Lions’ disastrous Euro 2016 campaign, where the crab-like Rooney was shoehorned into midfield with predictable results, the player was jeered during a match against Malta.

Three days later, interim manager Gareth Southgate left him out of the line-up to face Slovenia and effectively ended Rooney’s England career.

READ NEXT: 5 times Lionel Messi was booed: Hong Kong, Argentina, PSG…

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the 25 most capped players for England?

Jorginho

Jorginho eventually turned his fortunes around at Chelsea, but the Italian midfielder became a lightning rod for fan dissatisfaction with ‘Sarriball’ during his debut season at Stamford Bridge.

The lowest moment came when he was booed onto the pitch after replacing Ross Barkley in a Europa League match at Malmo. We’re convinced he asked Sarri for a drag on his cigarette after the game.

Gareth Bale

There is no one stand-out example of Real Madrid fans booing Bale, but the most spoilt set of supporters in world football never took the Welshman to their hearts and regularly jeered him.

In their defence, Bale has never been shy in taunting Madrid supporters – including his infamous ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order.’ banner.

QUIZ: Can you name every British player to play for Real Madrid since 1990?

Rio Ferdinand

After three years at Manchester United, Ferdinand was regarded as a talented liability by a section of the club’s supporters.

For his part, the player was frustrated by United being left behind by Wenger’s Arsenal and Mourinho’s Chelsea and publically stalled on signing a contract renewal at Old Trafford.

After some unsubtle flirting with Chelsea, Ferdinand was on the receiving end of dog’s abuse from United supporters during the summer of 2005. He eventually decided to stay and became a club legend.

Ashley Cole

Never the most popular footballer with the general public despite his defensive excellence, Cole was ridiculed by England supporters after his mistake gave Kazakhstan a goal in a 2010 World Cup qualifier.

Perhaps his relationship with national treasure Cheryl Cole playing out on the front of the nation’s tabloids didn’t leave too many England fans well-disposed towards the Chelsea man.