Onlookers widely condemned an adult Liverpool supporter after he snatched a shirt that striker Alexander Isak had offered to a child following a match at Anfield.
Isak, a Swedish international, was heading towards the tunnel after Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest on Saturday when he took off his jersey to give to a young fan.
As the goalscorer reached out to hand over the shirt, an older man swiped the garment from the child's grasp, taking the player aback.
The older fan was seen grinning widely as he made a hasty exit from the stands. The young supporter was left looking distraught and held out an exasperated hand.
Viral video sparks outrage
Footage of the incident spread quickly online, drawing fierce criticism from rival supporters and widespread calls for the man to face a stadium ban.
However, the situation was resolved when surrounding fans confronted the man over his shameless actions. He was subsequently seen handing the jersey back to its intended recipient.
Social media users praised the bystanders for stepping in, with one noting that Isak also ensured the man returned the shirt before leaving the pitch.
One post on X, formerly Twitter, read: "Grown ass man tried to snatch away a shirt given by Isak to a kid... Embarrassing."
Another user praised the player's awareness: "Fair play to Isak for seeing that and making sure the scruff gave it back. How embarrassing..."
A third person criticised the man's lack of awareness: "Don't these morons realize there are cameras everywhere these days?"
Another fan called for strict punishment: "Grown man steaming a sweaty kit off a child... should be banned from entering Anfield again."
Others expressed relief at the outcome, with one writing: "Glad the kid got it back, infuriating that grown men act like this."
Another user commented on the intervention: "Credit to the guys who called him out causing him to give it to the boy."
Past incidents with fans
The Anfield incident follows several similar controversies involving adult spectators aggressively taking prized memorabilia intended for children at sporting events.
In April, a baseball fan named Max Quinn faced a severe public backlash after he scrambled on the floor to take a foul ball from an 11-year-old girl named Evelyn.
Quinn had initially tried to catch the ball as it headed into the stands, but he botched the attempt. The ball squirmed out of his hands and bounced towards the young girl.
As Evelyn raced down the stadium steps to grab the memorable souvenir, Quinn fumbled around on the floor alongside her to snatch it before she had the chance.
He then lifted the ball into the air in an embarrassing celebration before returning to his seat, leaving the young child devastated.
Following a viral clip of the confrontation, furious baseball fans labelled Quinn "pathetic" online, and he later issued a public apology for his behaviour.
Elsewhere, in January 2025, an elderly ice hockey fan was ejected from a National Hockey League (NHL) game after stealing a puck from a young boy.
The child's mother threatened the man following the heartless act, pulling her arm back and gesturing as if to punch him.
The situation was later remedied when the girlfriend of an ice hockey player delivered a separate puck to the young fan in the stands.
Manager fumes over substitution delay
The shirt-snatching incident compounded a deeply frustrating afternoon for Liverpool, who have endured a lacklustre start to their season.
Manager Andoni Iraola watched his side fall behind twice against Oliver Glasner's Nottingham Forest, who proved to be good value for their hard-earned point away from home.
Forest initially took the lead through Dan Ndoye. Isak then opened his scoring account for the current campaign to bring Liverpool level.
Nottingham Forest regained the advantage with a penalty kick converted by Morgan Gibbs-White, before new Liverpool signing Victor Munoz secured the draw with an equalising goal.
However, Iraola was left aggrieved with the match officials, blaming a fourth official's fumble for the sequence of play that led to Forest's second goal.
The manager claimed he was unable to make a planned substitution for three minutes because the official's electric board malfunctioned on the touchline.
During the delay, when the changes should have already occurred, Nottingham Forest took a quick throw-in which ultimately led to the penalty being awarded.
"I will analyse the penalty, but this cannot be a professional fourth official," Iraola said after the match.
"It cannot take... I don't know, three minutes for him to ready the board. We've already given the subs' numbers two or three minutes before."
Iraola explained his frustration had been building before the throw-in was taken.
"I was already angry because in the previous stoppage we couldn't make the triple sub, and before the throw-in I said, 'OK we'll do it now'. But I don't know what happened," he added.
"They will have to explain it, but it has taken ages to not prepare two boards."
