Phil Neville has apologised for the sexist tweets that have come back to embarrass the new England Women head coach.
The former England defender faced criticised within hours of his appointment being confirmed on Tuesday over messages he posted in 2012.
In one tweet, he said he expected women not to have been reading his Twitter messages but to have been "preparing breakfast/getting kids ready/making the beds".
Neville appeared to delete his Twitter account, @fizzer18, after the comments came to light. His new employer, the Football Association, issued a statement from Neville on Wednesday that read:
"Following comments made a number of years ago I would like to clarify that they were not and are not a true and genuine reflection of either my character or beliefs, and would like to apologise.
"I am fully aware of my responsibilities as the England Women's head coach and am immensely proud and honoured to have been given the role. I am now looking forward to the future and will work tirelessly to try and help bring success to the team."
Following his appointment, a UK based women's sports charity said that hiring Neville "undermines the coaching pathway and will be a blow to hundreds of football coaches, both male and female."
The Women's Sport Trust also said it was "saddened" by the emergence of controversial tweets from the new manager's past, which seem to have prompted Neville to delete his account.
The WST said on Wednesday: "Our national women's team deserve the very best coach available to fulfil their enormous potential and inspire millions of men and women.
"To see a high profile, former professional footballer virtually parachuted in to such a significant role in football without the level of experience required, undermines the coaching pathway and will be a blow to hundreds of football coaches, both male and female, currently working towards their badges at all levels."
Women’s Sports Trust "disappointed at apparent lack of transparency" for Phil Neville’s appointment and "saddened by (his) tweets and lack of comment from FA" pic.twitter.com/EN5dbdh3z3
— Dan Roan (@danroan) January 24, 2018
It added that the appointment shows the limited numbers of female coaches "at the highest level".
Addressing Neville's social media output, the WST added: "We are also saddened by Phil Neville's historical tweets and the lack of comment about this from the FA. In the age of 'MeToo' and 'TimesUp,' all individuals and organisations must be more aware of past sexist behaviour and respond to it appropriately."
Here are the tweets that have got Phil Neville’s tenure as England women’s manager off to a controversial start (has now deleted his account). Might want to hold a press conference & address them, their relevance to doing the job, & his lack of managerial experience, fast. pic.twitter.com/bXrDViWBTW
— Dan Roan (@danroan) January 24, 2018
WST advocates for women's sport through the promotion of diversity, increasing media coverage and improving funding conditions.
