However, the image has upset animal welfare experts, and not just because of the United top the pup has been compelled to wear.

Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford tweets a picture of his new puppy Saint wearing a club shirt | The Sun.

According to campaigners, the dog, a Can Corso from Russia, has plainly had its ears clipped, which is illegal in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Section 5 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it illegal to perform a forbidden surgery on a protected animal.

However, in several nations, the procedure is still legal, and there is no crime in bringing a dog into the country that has been cropped or docked elsewhere.

An RSPCA representative stated: “The RSPCA is opposed to ear cropping, a process where ears are removed or surgically altered, often for the purposes of appearance.”

Ear clipping is painful, useless, and unlawful in England and Wales. It has no advantage for the dog and may be harmful to their health, behaviour, and welfare. We do not believe that animals should be mutilated for aesthetic reasons.

‘Unfortunately, we assume that ear clipping occurs in England and Wales, despite the fact that it is unlawful under Section 5 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and some dogs are imported from overseas with clipped ears.

‘We would advise people not to purchase a dog with cut ears since it would have undergone this really painful procedure.

Rashford, who missed United’s 1-0 loss to Newcastle on Sunday, purchased his puppy from Chaperone K9, a family-owned business in Leicestershire that specialises in supplying personal and family protection dogs.

Company director Richard Douglas acknowledged that his company does not crop dogs in the UK, saying, “The RSPCA should know better than anyone else that there are no companies in the UK that promote or carry out cropping or docking.”

‘In certain nations, there is still a legal process in place, and dogs can be imported from America, Russia, or Hungary. People can purchase them from abroad.

Saint is the latest canine to join the United family, following the arrivals of Atom and Humber as Alexis Sanchez relocates to Old Trafford.