Manchester United supporter Frank Ilett has broken his silence on the concerning incident with a fellow supporter at Old Trafford that went viral at the weekend.
Ilett has become hugely popular over the last year for refusing to cut his hair until United win five games in a row.
The 29-year-old’s videos have blown up on social media, with many of his posts attracting thousands of views, likes and comments.
Ilett posts his content on his popular fan Instagram page, named ‘The United Strand’.
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However, the tongue-in-cheek challenge is clearly not to everybody’s liking.
The United fan was in attendance for his side’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
However, his trip to Old Trafford took a shocking turn when he was the victim of an attack by a fellow Red Devils fan.
A video posted on social media appeared to show another United fan approach Ilett before gripping and pulling his hair.
The angry United fan then appeared to take another lunge at Ilett, but on this occasion he was able to get away unharmed.
The first anniversary of the challenge is on October 5, and now the viral sensation has opened up about the shocking attack.
"Yeah, it was a bit weird to be honest. I thought he was just joking to start with, but then he started yanking my hair and calling me an 'attention-seeking c***',” he told The Sun.
"The whole day was full of hundreds of positive interactions yesterday and 99 per cent of all of the reactions to this challenge has been nice. But just a few people can ruin it.
"My intention with this challenge was never to highlight Man United's flaws. It was always and always will be to spread humour and positivity to United fans in a difficult time.
"I never expected it to go on for so long, but I'm hopeful we can go on a good run soon and I, more than most…want these wins to come as soon as possible.
"I will always try to focus on the positives and hope that this was just a one-off."
United have had a difficult start to the 2025/2026 season.
They are out of the Carabao Cup after a penalty shootout defeat against League Two side Grimsby.
They are also 11th in the Premier League table with seven points from their opening five games.
United next face Brentford away from home on Saturday in the Premier League.
Topics: Manchester United, Football, Premier League
Jonathan Bray