England football fans were heard singing an X-rated chant about Gary Neville as the ex-Manchester United defender faces a backlash over his rant about “angry middle-aged white men” in the wake of the Manchester synagogue attack.
“Gary Neville, what a w*****…” could be heard from the away section in Latvia as travelling England fans booked their place at next summer’s World Cup with a convincing 5-0 win.
Neville has been described as a “polarising figure” by politicians after he spoke out about the increased levels of division in society after two people were killed in a terror attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, on October 2.
Attacker Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, who was on bail for an alleged rape, was shot dead by police as he targeted the place of worship on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Taking to social media after the attack in Neville called for people to stop spreading hate and abuse.
He said: “We’re all being turned on each other and the division that’s being created is absolutely disgusting, mainly created by angry, middle-aged white men who know exactly what they’re doing.”
Neville continued: “On one of my development sites last week, there was a Union Jack flag put up, and I took it down instantly.
“And some people might be watching this and thinking ‘well, Gary you’re not very patriotic’. I played for my country 85 times. I love my country. I love Manchester and I love England.
“But I’ve been building in this city for 15-20 years, and there’s no one put a Union Jack flag up in the last 15-20 years so why do you need to put one up now?
“Because quite clearly, it’s sending a message to everybody that there is something you don’t like. The Union Jack flag being used in a negative fashion is not right.”
He suggested the vote to leave the European Union had fuelled division and called for a return to being “a country of love and peace and harmony and become a team again”.
He added: “Brexit has had a devastating impact on this country, and the messaging is getting dangerous, extremely dangerous.
“All these idiots that are out there spreading hate speech in any form and abuse in any form, we must stop promoting them.”
The former England footballer has also received support from government ministers.
Faith and communities minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said she believed Neville was right to raise concerns about “angry, middle-aged white men” and hit out at people trying to stoke tension.
She added that the government has to “do the job of bridging our communities”.
