Gary Neville lashes out at 'incredible' criticism of Keir Starmer over football freebies

Man Utd fable Gary Neville deed retired astatine the 'absolutely incredible' disapproval Keir Starmer has faced for attending Arsenal games - pointing retired that the PM has a play ticket

Gary Neville has lashed retired astatine Keir Starmer's critics aft helium accepted escaped tickets to Premier League matches - branding the backlash "absolutely incredible".

The erstwhile Man United and England defender said helium was "struggling" to recognize the choler astir it. Neville, a passionate Labour protagonist who worked with the now-PM up of the General Election, pointed retired Mr Starmer already holds an Arsenal play summons - but can't usage it due to the fact that of information worries.

He told a Labour Party league fringe event: "I'm struggling with the escaped shot tickets 1 rather a bit, to beryllium honorable with you, erstwhile I look astatine the implicit corruption we've seen successful the past five, six, seven, 8 years with radical getting billions of pounds worthy of contracts successful VIP lanes."

He added: "Keir Starmer's paid for his play summons to spell with his household to ticker Arsenal each his beingness and he's present being told helium can't spell to that aforesaid seat, erstwhile I'm definite helium would - you cognize helium would, everybody knows helium would - he's been told he's got to spell successful a hospitality box, a backstage box.

"To beryllium fair, a batch of the radical complaining astir him volition extremity up successful those types of boxes themselves, including myself astatine times." Neville continued: "I find it perfectly unthinkable that this level of attraction is present being paid to a Labour Prime Minister erstwhile I look astatine the implicit cronyism we watched for years nether that lot."

The footballer-turned-pundit went connected to impeach the Premier League of acting similar a "bully" and "scaremongering" implicit plans to bring successful an autarkic shot regulator. He branded the league "entitled" and "selfish".

Neville said: "We person a Premier League that's entitled, they consciousness entitled. I'm not going to usage the connection greedy, but I conscionable have. They are selfish and I can't recognize that mode of thinking. It's astir similar they're the large member that beryllium determination and administer scraps of nutrient to the small brothers circular the table. It's not what you bash erstwhile you're successful a family."

His involution comes pursuing claims English teams could beryllium barred from European competitions specified arsenic the Champions League due to the fact that of Uefa rules against authorities engagement successful shot governance. These person been dismissed by the Government, which says the regulator would beryllium independent.

Mr Neville said: "Their mindset is specified of a bully. Their mindset is specified that they deliberation they tin power the regulator erstwhile the regulator's introduced and they tin get a amended woody perchance the different broadside of the regulator. And what they're applying is their brushed powerfulness and their power to effort and make scare stories and scaremongering, similar we had a mates of weeks ago."

Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy said the claims astir being barred from Europe were "ridiculous" and "really disrespectful to fans due to the fact that it caused a batch of alarm which was truly unnecessary". She said the Government won't beryllium "heavy handed". But she said ministers besides privation to "deal with the deficiency of sustainability successful different parts of the pyramid".

A caller Bill that would spot the caller watchdog created is expected to beryllium introduced to Parliament successful the coming weeks.