Liverpool manager Gareth Taylor is unhappy midfielder Marie Hobinger was named as the victim in a stalking case but says she is doing “OK” following her ordeal.
Mangal Dalal, 42, from Westminster, London, pleaded guily to stalking at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Thursday after “repeatedly sending messages” of an “inappropriate and sexualised” nature.
The messages were made via Instagram and were sent between 27 January and 16 February 2025, often including his mobile number and postcode.
In a prepared statement, Dalal admitted to stalking but said that he was mentally unwell at the time.
He will be sentenced on 20 January 2026 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
“Hopefully this is coming to the end. What we care about are the players and we massively care about Marie and the situation she is going through,” Liverpool manager Taylor told BBC Sport.
“It’s not nice, particularly the fact she’s been named also. I don’t think that’s great. But we deal with it.
“Nobody wants to see these things happening in any walk of life, so hopefully it’s drawn to a conclusion really soon.
“The club is always at the forefront of any issue we encounter. This is no different. I would expect not just Liverpool, but any football club to act in this manner and protect their players as much as they can.”