Mazraoui meets our Muslim Supporters' Club

Those were the words uttered by Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui, when he recently sat down to chat to our Muslim Supporters' Club at Old Trafford.

The Moroccan joined the fan group for a meet and greet at the Theatre of Dreams, where he posed for photos, signed autographs and sat among them to field a series of football and faith-related questions.

The supporters in attendance were understandably excited to meet the Reds defender, who shared his own experiences of how his Muslim faith influences his life both on and off the pitch.

"Never lose faith in your prayers," said Nous, when asked about what advice he would give to youngsters looking to get into football.

"Seeing your parents so proud is something that makes you more proud. If you do something good and see the pride of your family, that is something that gives your heart a nice feeling."

Ramadan, a period when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, begins on the evening of Friday 28 February.

It will end on Sunday 30 March, and was a topic of discussion during Nous’s wide-ranging chat with our Muslim Supporters’ Club, as many of their members will be fasting during this period.

The Morocco international also spoke about day-to-day life as a United player, how the Premier League compares to the Bundesliga, skills that modern-day defenders must possess and his matchday routine – both in terms of football and faith.

When asked about making it as a professional, Nous shared how his early football experience has given him a unique skillset.

“Playing on the streets as a kid is really important because you learn things that you can’t learn in the academy,” he said.

“The rules on the streets are very different.”

Nous enjoyed the experience, as did the 20 members in attendance, offering insightful knowledge and sharing jokes with them.

Speaking after meeting the United defender, our Muslim Supporters’ Club’s Co-Founder and Secretary, Asif Mahmud, was taken aback.

"It was unbelievable and he was such a humble guy and came across really well and it was really nice to meet him," said Asif.

"Thank you so much for organising this.

"It helps us to connect with him and also those who aren't of faith to understand his vision and what his belief system is. He went into a lot of detail and that was really nice of him."

Our Muslim Supporters' club was founded in August 2024 and since then, United have worked closely with the group, with memberships now standing at over 2,000.

We recently opened a multi-faith cabin at Old Trafford to ensure supporters can pray before, during or after matches.

"Honestly, we have been blown away,"  said Asif.

"We haven't been established that long but the club has been really willing to work with us.

"We have been really grateful for the effort the club has made with us which is above and beyond what we expected. United has only done good things for us in this short space of time."

To find out more about our Muslim Supporters' Club, visit their website.