Nemanja Matic was seen not wearing a poppy on his shirt in their match against Bournemouth on Saturday.
The reason he will not be wearing a poppy is that it reminds him of when his village was bombed when he was 12. The bombing, in 1999, was part of a Nato-led offensive to drive out Serbian forces from Kosovo.
Matic was the only United player not wearing a poppy during their 2-1 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Serb, 30, issued a statement on Instagram in which he said he respected the right of people to wear poppies.
He said:
“I recognise fully why people wear poppies, I totally respect everyone’s right to do so and I have total sympathy for anyone who has lost loved ones due to conflict.
“However, for me it is only a reminder of an attack that I felt personally as a young, frightened 12-year old boy living in Vrelo, as my country was devastated by the bombing of Serbia in 1999.
“Whilst I have done so previously, on reflection I now don’t feel it is right for me to wear the poppy on my shirt.
“I do not want to undermine the poppy as a symbol of pride within Britain or offend anyone, however, we are all a product of our own upbringing and this is a personal choice for the reasons outlined.
“I hope everyone understands my reasons now that I have explained them and I can concentrate on helping the team in the games that lie ahead.”
The Royal British Legion said, “the decision to wear the poppy must be a matter of personal choice”.
