Mesut Ozil offered to pay Jerry Quy, the man behind Arsenal mascot Gunnersaurus, his full salary after it was reported Monday that he was laid off by the club.
Ozil, whose contract expires next summer, said he'd contribute as long as he's an Arsenal player.
His efforts appeared to pay instant dividends. Shortly after Ozil's announcement on Twitter, a spokesperson for the club told ESPN's James Olley that "Gunnersaurus is not extinct and will return to action when fans are allowed back at matches."
I was so sad that Jerry Quy aka our famous & loyal mascot @Gunnersaurus and integral part of our club was being made redundant after 27 years. As such, I’m offering to reimburse @Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player... pic.twitter.com/IfWN38x62z
— Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) October 6, 2020
Quy has served in the role since 1993 and became a fan favorite as the heart and soul of Gunnersaurus, a loveable green dinosaur dressed in a full kit. Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright had called the news "terrible," and fans expressed their outrage on social media. One cohort set up a GoFundMe page for the mascot, raising more than £10,000 in just 24 hours.
Arsenal had already announced 55 job cuts as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
