Northern Ireland's women's team manager Kenny Shiels has come in for criticism after claiming "women are more emotional than men".
Shiels made the controversial comments after watching his side humbled 5-0 by England in Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Belfast. His remarks have drawn criticism from former England duo Ian Wright and Siobhan Chamberlain.
Speaking in the aftermath of the defeat, witnessed by a record crowd of more than 15,000 at Windsor Park, Shiels said: "Girls and women are more emotional than men. So they take a goal going in not very well. I felt [England] were struggling a wee bit at times to open us up until the psychology of going 2-0 up in the women's game.
"I'm sure you will have noticed if you go through the patterns - when a team concedes a goal, they concede a second one in a very, very short space of time.
"[It happens] right through the whole spectrum of the women's game, because girls and women are more emotional than men. So, they take a goal going in not very well. When we went 1-0 down we tried to slow it down to give them time to get that emotional imbalance out of their heads. That's an issue we have. Not just in Northern Ireland but all of the countries in the world."
Ex-Arsenal striker Wright, who won 33 England caps, took to Twitter to blast Shiels' comments, writing: "Kenny Shiels talking foolishness! Talking about emotional women! Didn’t that man see how many times I was crying on the PITCH!"
Chamberlain, who played 50 times for England's women, was also critical of the former Kilmarnock boss.
"I think we all know that the five minutes after you concede a goal - not just in women's football, [also] in men's football - you're more likely to concede a goal," she told BBC Radio 5 Live. "To just generalise that to women is a slightly bizarre comment.
"When you give post-match news conferences when you're feeling emotional after a big game, it's important to make sure that you are speaking sensibly and are aware of the message that your words can carry."
Women in Football CEO Yvonne Harrison says Shiels' comments were "deeply unhelplful" in the battle to eradicate sexism from society. Speaking on Sky Sports News, she said: "I was shocked to be honest that in this day and age we're hearing comments like that.
"I suppose to put it into context, his team have just been beaten 5-0 and that's not easy to take. But I would question whether the comments are based on facts or just his opinion. I think women being classed as too emotional has been something that has actually been said for far too long and it's just perpetuating this stereotype that we (women) can't control our emotions in any setting.
"That is deeply unhelpful and I'm disappointed by the comments."
Shiels has since issued an apology for his comments, apologising for any offence he caused. He said: "I wish to apologise for my comments made in the post-match press conference last night. I am sorry for the offence that they have caused.
"Last night was a special occasion for the women's game in Northern Ireland and I am proud to manage a group of players who are role models for so many girls, and boys, across the country. I am an advocate for the women's game and passionate about developing opportunities for women and girls to flourish."
