Football news: 'You don't get to pretend' - Tyrone Mings dismisses home secretary Priti Patel

ByAlexander Netherton

Updated 12/07/2021 at 19:51 GMT

England and Aston Villa central defender Tyrone Mings has criticised Britain's home secretary Priti Patel after the Conservative MP condemned the racist abuse suffered by Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, something that Mings appeared to hit out as a hypocritical gesture after she spoke out against taking the knee.

England and Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings has hit out at home secretary Priti Patel after she condemned racist abuse of England players.

Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka received racist abuse after each of them missed a penalty in the Euro 2020 final shootout against Italy.

Gareth Southgate, Harry Kane and Boris Johnson are three prominent figures who have spoken out against the racist abuse the trio have faced.

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Patel, the country’s home secretary responsible for immigration, earlier condemned the abuse, saying on Twitter:

“I am disgusted that @England players who have given so much for our country this summer have been subject to vile racist abuse on social media. It has no place in our country and I back the police to hold those responsible accountable.”

Patel is one of a number of Conservative MPs who have taken against the players taking a knee in protest at racist oppression, having been previously joined by Dominic Raab MP, with backbench Tory Lee Anderson saying he would boycott the Euro 2020 tournament as a result of the anti-racist gesture.

Mings commented on Patel’s own comment on Monday evening, tweeting:

You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘Gesture Politics’ & then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against, happens.

'Racial abuse at England players after final disgusting and disgraceful'

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