Ratcliffe has since apologised ‘for his choice or words’ (Picture: Getty)
Sections of the Manchester United squad were left ‘alarmed by’ Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments on immigration with one former player advising the co-owner to leave politics out of the game.
Ratcliffe told Sky News this week the UK has been ‘colonised by immigrants,’ comments that have provoked a furious response. Fan groups and prominent figures have condemned the INEOS chief, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who labelled them ‘offensive and wrong’.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meanwhile said Sir Jim’s comments ‘go against everything for which Manchester has traditionally stood’.
The Football Association are investigating the remarks with the 73-year-old since apologising ‘for his choice or words’ before adding an ‘open debate’ must remain on the matter.
But those words have already caused significant damage among the United fanbase.
The club has enjoyed a rather serene few weeks following the chaos of Ruben Amorim’s shock exit at the start of January.
Under the guidance of Michael Carrick, United have been on a superb run of four wins on the spin, staying unbeaten against West Ham United midweek and are now firmly back in the race for Champions League qualification. While the club are all too familiar with a false dawn and the disappointment that accompanies them, positivity has been restored on the red half of Manchester.
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But Ratcliffe’s comments have ignited a storm which now hangs over Old Trafford. Many of United’s most revered club legends are from overseas with their fanbase spanning the globe. Of the 14 players used by Carrick in the 1-1 draw with West Ham, only three are born in the UK. One of them in Harry Maguire is of Irish descent with Kobbie Mainoo’s parents from Ghana.
In total, United have 17 overseas players in the squad with one insider telling the Daily Mail Ratcliffe’s comments haven’t sat well within the dressing room with several players left alarmed by his ‘out of touch’ remarks.
@metrouk Sir Jim Ratcliffe has apologised for his ‘choice of language’ after he said ‘the UK has been colonised by immigrants’. The billionaire, who is founder and chairman of one of the world’s largest chemical companies, Ineos, said he was sorry his comments ‘offended some people’ and ’caused concern’. The remarks sparked widespread backlash, with Sir Keir Starmer saying they were ‘offensive and wrong’. The Football Association said it would investigate whether the comments had brought the game into disrepute. #manutd #uknews #billionaires #news #worldnews ♬ my dark fantasy dream – rexlity
Paul Parker, born in east London to Jamaican parents, made almost 150 appearances for United between 1991 and 1996. He was part of the squad that won two Premier League titles alongside Eric Cantona, the Frenchman who who was the most influential figure on the pitch during those successes.
The former right-back fears this week’s developments are another indication that politics are now overshadowing football, describing it as ‘a killer for the game.’
United have got back to business under Carrick on the pitch (Picture: Getty)
‘My first thought is, I don’t know how it’s been allowed, but we’ve suddenly allowed politics to get involved in football,’ Parker told Metro via Mr Luck. ‘Even pre this situation, I think it’s been a killer for the game, because politics has been allowed to get involved in it.
Parker spent five years at United (Picture: Getty Images)
‘The game was for the people, generally the working-class people, and it was their game, and it’s been taken away by suits, and all of a sudden, what comes with suits is politics.
‘Now it seems like they’re being welcomed, and it’s killing our game.’
With Ratcliffe’s interview causing concern among the current squad, Parker believes his comments were short-sighted at best.
‘That’s what it boils down to. A generally naive, older fella, and as you get older, you do speak out and say what you think. It’s a privilege sometimes, and you believe you can do that, because at the end of it, what have you got to lose?’
Shortly after Ratcliffe’s apology, United released a statement of their own, expressing their pride in being ‘a diverse group of players’. Their statement made no reference to Ratcliffe or his comments.
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