Matt Le Tissier has put himself back in the spotlight as a result of his outspoken views, this time taking aim at Gary Lineker.
The Southampton legend has labelled the former England star "woke" for his political stances and questioned his "nice bloke" image. Le Tissier has previously been at odds with Lineker, who made headlines last year for shutting him down in a debate over Covid-19, a topic which both ex-footballers have regularly weighed in on.
A staunch believer in "not following the crowd," Le Tissier has continued his battle against mainstream thinking and given his thoughts on Lineker while speaking to the Times. "I find it funny that he goes out of his way to criticise me for having an opinion that's different to his," the 53-year-old declared.
"I have followed Gary on social media for many years and a lot of the stuff I completely disagree with but I have never attacked him for it. But the other way round. He is meant to be the nice bloke, the woke Gary Lineker, nice and inclusive but he is the one going out of his way trying to dig me out."
Lineker and his followers had a laugh at Le Tissier's expense last September when the former Sky Sports pundit questioned why Covid-19 was treated differently to the flu. "Why didn't we ever try this hard to 'defeat' flu?" Le Tissier asked in one of his many controversial tweets.
"It has a similar fatality rate to 'Covid' and actually affects younger people more? Answers on a postcard." The acclaimed Match of the Day presenter then brutally shut him down, quoting the Twitter post and responding: "Yeah Matt, why didn't someone come up with a flu vaccine?"
Mirror Football has contacted Lineker for comment.
As critics continue to frequently shun his views, Le Tissier has given no indication of halting his mission to "tear down the system." His pride over being an individualist stems from his playing days, as he added that he was once the only Southampton player not to drink beer, instead preferring Malibu, the kind of decision which demonstrates his "strong character."
"A couple of years ago I felt like something wasn't right," Le Tissier claimed. "People were interfering in my life who shouldn't have been — mainly the government and scientists. I felt a real sense of injustice and when I feel a sense of injustice I can't keep my mouth shut. I have to speak up."
Back in January, he took part in a march outside the BBC 's offices to voice his dismay regarding mandatory coronavirus vaccinations for NHS workers. Earlier this month following an unpopular tweet about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Le Tissier stepped down from his role as an ambassador for Southampton, whom he made over 500 appearances for across 16 years.
"To all the fans of SFC. I have decided to step aside from my role as an ambassador of SFC," Le Tissier explained. "My views are my own and always have been, and it's important to take this step today to avoid any confusion. This does not affect my relationship with and love for my club, and I will always remain a fan and supporter of everything Saints.
"I can, however, see that due to recent events it's important to separate the work I believe in from my relationship with the club I have supported and played for most of my life. I will see you all at St Mary's and will always do anything I can to help the club."
