"it just depresses me a little bit."
Gary Lineker took aim at Suella Braverman’s comments that she does not consider herself English because both of her parents were born abroad.
The former England footballer discussed the Reform MP’s remarks on The Rest Is Football podcast, arguing that comments about who can be considered English are designed to create division.
Reacting to the comments Braverman made during BBC Question Time, Lineker said:
“I raise it because obviously we’ve had the thing with one of the Reforms, Suella Braverman, saying the same sort of stuff that, if you’ve got a different skin colour, you’re not English.
“And I just wanted to read [former Liverpool manager Jurgen] Klopp’s words out.
“He said: ‘There is absolutely no reason to pay attention to these people. You won’t get my thoughts on this. I have little time in everyday life for idiocy and even less on social media. The great crux of our lives is that everyone is allowed to express their opinion. It’s insane when something like that exists. The world would learn a thing or two from a sports changing room. There, everyone is respected based on the facts and not discredited based on false opinions’.”
Gary Lineker acknowledged that he was “a bit nervous” about discussing politics but said he believed it was important when political debate affected football.
He continued: “We focus sometimes on a racist chant or something at a football game or the occasional problems we have.
“But in the actual dressing rooms themselves, the harmony, whether, you know, you can be a Christian, a Catholic, a Muslim, any kind of ethnicity, you can be black, you can be brown, you can be white.
“But it just all comes together, and it’s so harmonious. And, yet, politicians and people speaking out in that way, it just depresses me a little bit.
“I saw someone put a graphic up of all the players of various colours that have played and represented England over the years.
“I mean, come on. I know it’s done to divide and rule. That’s the whole plan. But it’s worth calling out occasionally. I really do think that.”
Suella Braverman, who previously served as Home Secretary, said on BBC Question Time that she has always identified as British rather than English.
She said: “I’ve always considered myself British, of Asian ethnicity, and that’s never been something that I would question.
“Of course I’m not English. I’m not an English person – I am of Asian origin. It doesn’t sound very controversial to me, but suddenly it has become debatable.
“My parents came as immigrants themselves to this country with nothing, very grateful to Britain for the hand of friendship that Britain extended to them.
“And I’ve always considered myself British, of Asian ethnicity, and that’s never been something that I would question.”
Her comments prompted a debate among the Question Time panel, with New Statesman journalist Oli Dugmore describing them as “racist”.
Braverman responded: “What you’re saying is I’m racist against myself. You lower the tone of debate; you make it impossible for us to exchange ideas.”
Gary Lineker has previously criticised Braverman over her comments about immigration when she was Home Secretary.
In 2023, he compared the language used by the then Conservative politician to that of Nazi Germany after she described the UK’s asylum system as being “overwhelmed”.
