Tyrone Mings is casting his mind back to that notorious flashpoint with Zlatan Ibrahimovic last season and considering whether he thinks the public perception of him has changed. “Probably, because I’d always been seen as sort of the Mother Teresa of football,” Mings says, breaking into laughter. “Everybody had such a charitable perception of me through things that I’d done to not really aim to give myself that tag. So as soon as that happened, I was given so many other labels, mainly from Man United fans via social media, but also via the pundits who were on Sky Sports at the time. I don’t think their comments helped.”
Mings, to be clear, is not moaning or seeking sympathy – that is not his style. An affable and gregarious character, the Bournemouth defender is full of positive energy and walks into the home dressing room for this interview in a way that betrays no sign of the news he is about to share concerning an injury blow. A meeting with a back specialist the day before saw him diagnosed with a potentially serious problem, ruling him out for a couple of months, just when he had hoped to kick on after signing a new four-year contract. “What can you do?” Mings says, shrugging his shoulders.
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