England star’s message to Nike? Harvey Elliott hides ‘rainbow coloured’ St George’s flag by turning up his collar while playing for U21s – as pressure grows on FA to say who signed off controversial design

One in all England’s younger stars turned up the collar of the brand new ‘woke’ Nike shirt right now – its first official outing in a global match – hiding the controversial blue and purple St George’s Cross, MailOnline can reveal.

Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott scored twice within the younger Three Lions’ 5-1 win over Azerbaijan in a Euro under-21 qualifier in Baku – however the flag on the £125 jersey couldn’t be seen for your complete recreation.

Harvey has not commented on the choice however Liverpool haven’t got a collar on their well-known purple shirts, nevertheless, when he performed on mortgage for Blackburn Rovers within the Championship he stored his collar down.

His choice to show his collar up on the shirt’s first outing for the nationwide workforce got here amid large anger again house with Rishi Sunak amongst these slamming the choice make the purple and white flag blue and purple. The FA has once more insisted it is not going to recall the shirt.

MailOnline can reveal that England’s bungled soccer shirt was designed 5,000 miles away by Nike executives in America.

Stress is rising on the highly-paid executives who signed off the ‘abominable’ modifications to the St George’s Cross. Critics have questioned whether or not Oregon-based £122billion agency would have dared to alter the colors of the Stars and Stripes on the US soccer jersey. 

Tory MP Mark Francois, instructed MailOnline stated: ‘We’re a few month from St George’s Day, after we have a good time our Englishness in an upbeat, constructive means, simply as People have a good time the 4th of July. That is wokery gone mad and they need to knock it on the pinnacle’.

Mr Francois insisted Nike wouldn’t have dared do the identical factor to the Stars and Stripes within the US. ‘Within the phrases of John Wayne “Like hell they’d!”’ He added: ‘To paraphrase Nike’s very personal slogan – Simply Don’t Do It!’

MailOnline can reveal that Nike has not modified the flags on every other of its main 2024 nationwide kits in Europe – however determined to alter the purple and white Cross of St George to blue and purple.

Nike and the Soccer Affiliation haven’t stated who agreed the design of the brand new shirt however in London the bucks stops with MD of the FA Mark Bullingham, whose predecessor Adrian Bevington piled strain on right now by saying he wouldn’t have agreed to it when he was in cost. James Grey, industrial director of the FA, might also face questions.

Nike has not commented Aaron Barnett, Nike’s Senior Product Director for soccer attire since December 2020, could have been concerned.

Rishi Sunak right now slammed Nike and the Soccer Affiliation for altering the colors of the St George’s Cross on the brand new England shirt, declaring: ‘When it involves our nationwide flags, we should not mess with them’.

The Prime Minister, a Southampton fan, stated the English flag is already ‘excellent’ after legends Peter Shilton and David Seaman decried the ‘woke’ rainbow design and appalling £125 price ticket. 

As England followers right now vowed to boycott Nike and their hated new shirt after they offended hundreds of thousands by redrawing the St George’s Cross in blue and purple.

And is one more row for the £122billion agency, which has discovered itself in scorching water over all the pieces from not promoting a duplicate model of Mary Earps’ England ladies’s goalkeeper shirt and its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.  

Talking in Derbyshire right now, Mr Sunak stated: ‘Clearly I favor the unique, and my normal view is that in terms of our nationwide flags, we should not mess with them. As a result of they’re a supply of satisfaction, identification, who we’re, and so they’re excellent as they’re.’ 

Conservative MP for Milton Keynes North, Ben Everitt stated: ‘We simply want Nike to do one and mess with any individual else’s flag’.

The brand new equipment shall be worn by the workforce at Euro 2024 however the row over altering the standard purple cross threatens to overshadow a match Gareth Southgate’s aspect are amongst the favourites to win.

England’s most capped males’s participant, Peter Shilton, stated right now: ‘That is improper on each stage. I am completely towards it. Together with the value that Nike are going to cost.

‘I do not agree with it. It is woke. If you are going to put the St George’s Cross on a equipment, which clearly Nike have carried out, then simply put it on with the standard colors. Just like the Three Lions, it is conventional’.

Nike and the Soccer Affiliation have didn’t adequately clarify why the flag is blue and purple slightly than purple and white – simply calling it ‘playful’ and a homage to the 1966 workforce’s coaching prime. 

Former Soccer Affiliation boss Adrian Bevington right now admitted that he wouldn’t have signed off on the brand new shirt and stated: ‘It is our flag. It is a nationwide identification and I simply do not actually suppose it must be modified’.

Former England goalkeeper David Seaman, who performed 75 instances for his nation, stated he believed many in his technology of gamers would have refused to put on it.

He stated this morning: ‘It would not want fixing. What’s subsequent, are they going to alter the Three Lions to a few cats? Go away it alone. It is the St George’s Flag. Go away it alone. I am positive that in the event that they’d approached the lads and requested them about it, they’d have stated no. Simply go away it alone.’

Tradition Secretary Lucy Frazer tweeted: ‘Followers ought to at all times come first, and it is clear that this isn’t what followers need. ‘Our nationwide heritage – together with St George’s Cross – brings us collectively. Toying with it’s pointless and pointless.’ 

Greater than 16,000 folks have signed a web based petition to scrap the brand new shirt and begin once more and a web based marketing campaign to boycott Nike is in full swing as a result of critics are fed up with nationwide satisfaction being painted as a adverse factor – and even equated with racism.

One critic stated on Twitter: ‘DO NOT BUY THIS SHIRT!! ITS AN ABOMINATION TO OUR FLAG. I am all for inclusiveness. Make the numbers rainbow colored, would not hassle me. However that is our nationwide flag’.

This summer season houses and vehicles everywhere in the nation shall be proudly flying the St George’s Cross and stadiums and cities in Germany shall be a sea of purple and white this summer season as England battle within the European championships.

However Nike and England’s administration have sparked anger and disbelief by signing off on a ‘playful’ redesign and turned the flag mild blue and purple. 

Adrian Bevington, the previous FA managing director, instructed talkSPORT that he wouldn’t have signed off on the shirt. 

He stated: ‘I believe it is an emotive topic and it was at all times going to trigger the conjecture that we have.

‘I at all times try to see it from all sides, and I perceive from Nike’s perspective they’re seeking to push on a regular basis and be leading edge and as trendy as they are often to the totally different markets they serve.

‘However… it is our flag. When the video games happen, notably throughout the match, you will see the stadium completely swamped with the cross of St George hanging in every single place.

‘It is a nationwide identification and I simply do not actually suppose it must be modified. And it is going to upset lots of people as a result of folks do really feel obsessed with this.’

However he added: ‘It might find yourself promoting extra kits for them, who is aware of, commercially it’d drive it with the conjecture it is created. If I would been able to log out or not, I would not have signed off on that personally.’

The FA’s former head of communications, Steve Double instructed Mail On-line he believed Nike could have messed with the St George’s flag to garner gross sales.

Mr Double who was in charge of FA publicity throughout the profession of Paul Gascoigne and the administration of Glenn Hoddle, stated: ‘It is a weird choice.

‘The one smart motive to do that is that if it was a ploy by Nike to generate controversy within the hope of producing gross sales.

‘I would not wish to be the chief on the FA who accredited this one.’

Nike has come underneath strain from England followers who declare its ‘playful’ modification of the St George’s Cross has left it trying extra just like the ‘gender fluidity flag’ than the nationwide emblem.

The producer has sparked outrage after modifying the English flag from a conventional purple cross to at least one that’s mild blue and purple on the again of its newest jersey.

The American firm claims the change was took cues from the coaching equipment worn by the England workforce which gained the 1966 World Cup and aimed to honour the ‘basic color regime’.

Nonetheless, some have heaped scorn over the reasoning, claiming it seems to be nothing just like the coaching gear worn by Sir Alf Ramsey’s males and demanding the flag is returned again to its authentic colors.

There have even been calls in some quarters for a boycott, with some remarking on the resemblance between the colors of the modified St George’s Cross and the gender fluidity flag.

Politicians and pundits have gotten concerned within the row, with even Sir Keir Starmer  saying the unique colors had been ‘unifying’ and questioning why that they had been modified.

Regardless of the backlash Nike shouldn’t be going to make any modifications to the jersey, which is claimed to have ‘flown off the cabinets’ since its launch on Monday.

Insiders have acknowledged using clumsy language in a Nike tweet which spoke of ‘a playful replace’ which ‘seems on the collar to unite and encourage’ – however there aren’t any plans to alter it. 

A Nike spokesperson stated: ‘The England 2024 Residence equipment disrupts historical past with a contemporary tackle a basic. 

‘The trim on the cuffs takes its cues from the coaching gear worn by England’s 1966 heroes, with a gradient of blues and reds topped with purple. 

‘The identical colors additionally function an interpretation of the flag of St. George on the again of the collar.’ 

The shirt additionally has the complete backing of the FA, who’re understood to ‘utterly stand by it’.

Nonetheless, followers have vented their fury on the change, with some doubting the explanations given by Nike for the modification.

The 1966 England coaching equipment was blue, with purple and white stripes, whereas the modified flag on the brand new prime has shades of purple, blue and even magenta, with no white in any respect.

Some have branded the transfer ‘ridiculous’ whereas others have hit out on the ‘disrespectful’ change.

Posting an image of the 1966 England coaching equipment, one individual wrote on X (previously often known as Twitter): ‘Would not look the identical as 1966 coaching equipment to me?’

One other individual added: ‘Seems to be similar to a ‘Gender Fluid Flag’ to me! This could solely be White and Pink.’

One other England fan wrote: ‘It is disrespectful and creates division, you of all folks ought to have discovered from the actions of Budweiser and Doritos close to actual folks’s reactions to corporations such as you forcing your opinions and morals on the general public. Time to boycott Nike!’ 

And one social media person added: ‘Actually is not the English flag tho.. do not care about any of this woke s****.. however If change colors of a flag, it is not that international locations flag anymore. 

Another person wrote: ‘Delusional woke nonsense which is not wanted or wished! At £124.99 for an Grownup model and £119.00 for a Kids model, suppose they’ll preserve there ‘woke St George’!’

One other stated: ‘Since when did Nike have the correct to change our flag? You possibly can’t simply ‘playfully replace’ a nationwide flag! There can be uproar in the event that they modified the celebrities and stripes on the USA’ equipment. Hopefully zero gross sales of this shirt till they restore the flag of St George.

‘And now the FA declare the England soccer shirt flag colors are an homage to the 1966 England coaching equipment. Odd, on condition that coaching equipment didn’t use these colors, and had an precise flag of St. George on it. What a PR/advertising mess.’

Sources additionally instructed the Day by day Telegraph that there was no connection between the brand new flag colors and the rainbow armband that Harry Kane was banned by Fifa from carrying in assist of LGBTQ+ folks on the Qatar World Cup final 12 months.

It’s thought the flag rejig was the product of a Nike designer which was then signed off by the FA.

Whereas the FA is not going to disclose which division was concerned within the sign-off they too say it’s geared toward honouring the ‘basic color regime of 1966 coaching gear’ used when England lifted the World Cup 58 years in the past, slightly than an try and diversify the nation’s flag.

The equipment was agreed on and entered into the manufacturing cycle two years in the past. Even when a need to alter the St George’s Cross existed, trade specialists say a brand new equipment would take six to 9 months to create and distribute.

Whereas a small quantity might be made for England’s gamers, such a state of affairs is extremely unlikely given the big volumes of gross sales already made.

MailOnline has contacted Nike for extra remark. 

The strip, which was launched forward of Euro 2024 in Germany this summer season, promised to ‘have a good time soccer heroes of the previous with a contemporary twist’. 

However feedback from followers on social media have included ‘keep away from, too woke, too costly’; ’embarrassing, disgraceful’; ‘horrendous’ and ‘Nike Soccer ought to sack anybody who was complicit with this concept’.

Numerous politicians have criticised the design, together with Conservative MP Brendan Clarke-Smith who instructed the Day by day Specific: ‘Perhaps any individual within the design division misheard Three Lions and as a substitute went for 3 traces on a shirt.

‘I am undecided what that is alleged to be, nevertheless it definitely seems to be nothing like our flag and I am undecided it wants an ‘replace’ both. That stated, I doubt they’re going to shift many at these kind of costs.’

Labour Chief Sir Keir Starmer instructed The Solar: ‘I am a giant soccer fan, I’m going to England video games, males, ladies’s video games.

‘And the flag is utilized by all people, it is unifying, it would not want to alter.

‘We simply should be pleased with it. So I believe they need to simply rethink this and alter it again.’

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson additionally spoke to the Specific, saying: ‘This virtue-signalling, namby-pamby, pearl-clutching woke nonsense should cease. Any extra of this and I will be on the primary flight to Rwanda.’

And former Ukip chief Nigel Farage instructed GB Information: ‘It bears no relationship to the St George’s Cross by any means.

‘If the England soccer workforce suppose that is acceptable, effectively, why on earth would you remorseful about Englishness if you are going to play for England within the European soccer finals? I believe it is an absolute joke.’

Among the many pundits hitting out on the shirt has been former footballer Chris Sutton, who instructed Mail Sport’s podcast It is All Kicking Off: ‘It is such a load of b*****s although is not it? To unite and what? Encourage. To unite and encourage by altering a flag?

He added: ‘It is not the cross of St George, is it? I do perceive that there shall be folks on the market who will say it isn’t consultant when it is on an England jersey and should not signify an England jersey. I do perceive that.

‘I am not gonna get offended about that, however for heaven’s sake, may the FA haven’t simply, you understand… defined?

‘Why would you even want to clarify the significance of getting the correct flag? It is not consultant of an England jersey. I imply, it is like, on The Apprentice with Lord Sugar, after they get despatched out to do duties, and it seems to be like an enormous cock-up.

‘I am not going to get offended about that. It is a equipment design. However I do perceive there shall be lots of people across the nation who’re going to say it would not signify England and should not signify England. And that is it.’

Sutton continued: ‘You have to ask your self why do it? Why expose your self to all this noise and all this commentary? Why do it? Why not simply have a purple, if you wish to have the Cross of St George on the equipment, simply have the Cross of St George’.

He additionally stated: ‘It is simply dumb. It is simply so dumb. The entire thing is so dumb. Why would they even take into consideration tampering with issues?’

Earlier right now, talkSPORT host Simon Jordan equally questioned the choice by Nike and ripped into the ‘virtue-signalling FA’.

He stated: ‘I do not fairly perceive why Nike wish to have a playful transient on our identification. Is our nationwide identification a joke, is it one thing we’re ashamed of?

‘I believe our nationwide identification is one thing we needs to be pleased with. I do not discover it offensive, I discover it pointless. Reasonably than reclaim it, what we’ll do is put up a meaningless cross that has no worth to it and represents no one.’

Jordan, who can also be a Mail Sport columnist, added: ‘No different nation would enable this to occur, they would not enable it to be carried out on their nationwide shirt.

‘This is similar Nike that could not even be bothered to provide Mary Earps shirts. I do not suppose we needs to be taking classes from Nike on the values of this nation.

‘And the FA are completely complicit on this. The FA may have their virtue-signalling fingers throughout this’.

Nike unveiled England’s new house and away kits on Monday, forward of this summer season’s Euros in Germany.

The kits – which may also be worn by the Lionesses and England Para groups in 2024 – will value followers as much as £124.99 in grownup sizes and £119.99 for youngsters.

The Nike house jersey goes with a basic easy white design with a blue trim, whereas the kit-makers have gone again with a darkish blue for the away strip.

Additionally amongst these condemning the change was comic Jason Manford, who tweeted: ‘Oh pricey… this isn’t gonna go down effectively. What a bizarre factor to do although. A US firm having a cheeky play with one other nation’s flag.’

Nike has confirmed it is not going to alter the jersey, which is claimed to have ‘flown off the cabinets’ since its launch on Monday.

Insiders have acknowledged using clumsy language in a Nike tweet which spoke of ‘a playful replace’ which ‘seems on the collar to unite and encourage’ – however there aren’t any plans to alter it.

A Nike spokesperson stated: ‘The England 2024 Residence equipment disrupts historical past with a contemporary tackle a basic.

‘The trim on the cuffs takes its cues from the coaching gear worn by England’s 1966 heroes, with a gradient of blues and reds topped with purple. The identical colors additionally function an interpretation of the flag of St. George on the again of the collar.’

Yet one more personal aim from Nike’s woke warriors: From Mary Earps goalkeeping shirt to partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney and now St George’s flag overhaul, how US sports activities big has been at centre of controversy

Nike was right now dealing with a serious backlash over its choice to alter the color of the St George’s Cross on a brand new England soccer shirt. 

Followers have blasted the American sports activities big for going ‘woke‘ by switching the standard purple cross for one that includes navy, mild blue and purple on the shirt which prices as much as £125.

However it’s removed from the one controversy to have hit Nike lately, with the £122billion agency repeatedly discovering itself in scorching water over all the pieces from transgender points to duplicate soccer kits. 

The enterprise can also be presently struggling towards an exodus of a few of its prime expertise, with Harry Kane, Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling among the many stars to have moved to new sponsors in latest months. 

Beneath, MailOnline examines a few of Nike’s worst personal targets up to now.  

Fury at ‘woke’ overhaul of the St George’s Cross for Euro 2024

Sir Keir Starmer right now known as on Nike to alter the color of the St George’s Cross on a brand new England soccer shirt to conventional purple amid mounting fury over its design.

The Labour chief stated he believed the flag was a ‘unifier’ and insisted the American sportswear firm ought to ‘rethink’ the controversial choice to switch it.

The corporate described the overhaul as a ‘playful replace’ on the collar to ‘unite and encourage’ followers – however supporters, pundits and politicians criticised the shirt following its launch on Monday and demanded the flag be returned to its authentic colors.

Now Sir Keir has spoken out concerning the transfer, telling The Solar: ‘I am a giant soccer fan, I’m going to England video games, women and men’s video games, and the flag is utilized by all people. 

‘It’s a unifier. It would not should be modified. We simply should be pleased with it.

‘So I believe they need to simply rethink this and alter it again.

‘I am not even positive they’ll correctly clarify why they thought they wanted to alter it within the first place.’

Neither Nike nor the Soccer Affiliation (FA) have plans to recall the equipment – with sources claiming that the altered flag is a nod to the 1966 World Cup winners.

The FA insists it’s geared toward honouring the ‘basic color regime of 1966 coaching gear’ used when England gained the trophy, slightly than diversifying the nation’s flag.

However some heaped scorn over this declare, saying it seems to be nothing just like the coaching gear worn by Sir Alf Ramsey’s males and demanding the colors are modified again.

Mass exodus of stars together with Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish

The row over the England flag comes at a delicate time for Nike, which is witnessing an exodus of its main expertise in the meanwhile as monetary realities chunk. 

On December 22, Nike punctured the festive cheer by asserting it wants to save lots of a colossal $2billion [£1.6bn] over the following three years because of poor gross sales.

Their efforts to ‘streamline the organisation’ are more likely to embrace job cuts, a simplification of merchandise on supply and elevated automation. 

And a trickle-down impact of this announcement now appears to be occurring within the sports activities world.

England captain Kane started carrying blacked-out boots final summer season shortly earlier than his £100million transfer from Tottenham to Bayern Munich.

It quickly emerged Kane had switched from Nike to a lifetime partnership with American footwear firm Skechers, who had been making their first correct foray into the soccer boot market.

Manchester United and Argentina defender Martinez swapped Nike for Adidas final 12 months and the German make was in a position so as to add midfielder Casemiro just lately too.

Final month, United’s Diogo Dalot additionally parted from Nike and wore shiny pink Puma boots in Sunday’s win at Luton.

That follows Manchester Metropolis trio Jack Grealish, Mateo Kovacic and Manuel Akanji all heading over to Puma up to now 12 months.

There was an enormous backlash from followers after it emerged Nike wouldn’t be promoting a duplicate model of Mary Earps’s goalkeeper’s shirt throughout the FIFA Ladies’s World Cup. 

Duplicate kits of different Lionesses taking part in outfield had been placed on sale – however her’s was not included. 

After mounting strain, the sports activities model launched her inexperienced long-sleeved Lionesses shirt, just for it to promote out in 5 minutes. 

Earps later known as the preliminary choice an ‘injustice’ however, requested in December if she thought Nike had ‘discovered a lesson’, instructed Sky Information: ‘Positively. I wish to suppose so, I have been talking to Nike fairly a bit over the course of the 12 months.

‘On this matter, they know that they bought this improper and that is why they’ve carried out this correction – a giant firm like Nike, they would not do this in the event that they did not understand it wasn’t proper and that there was an injustice there.

‘They did the correct factor and, actually, I am unable to thank the general public sufficient for his or her assist and, actually, we would not be on this place with out it.

‘I used to be actually ‘um-ing and ah-ing’ whether or not to make use of my voice and to talk on it or not – I assumed I used to be simply talking for a distinct segment of goalkeepers, nevertheless it turned out to be assist from a gaggle of a lot wider group of individuals.’

Nike sparked controversy after beginning a partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. 

The 27-year-old posted a collection of movies and pictures to Instagram final 12 months, tagging Nike Ladies whereas linking to the merchandise’ pages.

She appeared in a pair of black skintight leggings and a white sports activities bra, and might be seen putting yoga poses in a sunny yard.

In an accompanying video, Mulvaney was dancing concerning the yard in her naked toes doing mock exercises whereas an upbeat track performed over the efficiency.

Mulvaney on hormones to assist her transition into a girl – and has been documenting her change ‘into girlhood.’

Many took to social media to specific their outrage that she had been given the sponsorship and never a organic girl, and questioned who the model was making an attempt to promote its merchandise to with the advertisements. 

One girl even filmed herself setting a Nike sports activities bra alight.  

It stays unclear how a lot cash Mulvaney was paid for the postings, however insiders coping with social media sponsorships beforehand instructed DailyMail.com she might be making greater than $50,000 per paid publish. 

Neither Mulvaney nor Nike responded to DailyMail.com requests for remark on the time.

Allegations of sweatshops and compelled Labour 

Nike has lengthy been affected by questions of their ethics and, in 2011, staff making its Converse sneakers at a manufacturing unit in Indonesia claimed that they had been being bodily and mentally abused.

Employees on the Sukabumi plant in Indonesia stated supervisors ceaselessly threw sneakers at them, slapped them within the face, kicked them, and known as them canines and pigs. 

Nike admitted on the time that such abuse had occurred among the many contractors that make its high-tops, however stated there was little it may do to cease it. 

Extra just lately, in 2021, the corporate was one in every of many international manufacturers to be accused of getting provides from factories utilizing compelled labor.

The Conservative Social gathering Human Rights Fee report stated that tens of hundreds of Uyghur Muslims had been transported to factories throughout the nation to work.

It famous that one of many ‘most stunning new developments’ within the final 5 years was that compelled labor was now used ‘all through China in factories that are a part of the provision chain of main worldwide firms.’

Nike was named alongside Apple, BMW, Hole, Huawei, Samsung, Sony and Volkswagen

A spokesperson for the corporate stated on the time: ‘We’re involved about stories of compelled labor in, and linked to, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Area (XUAR). Nike doesn’t supply merchandise from the XUAR and we’ve confirmed with our contract suppliers that they don’t seem to be utilizing textiles or spun yarn from the area.

‘The Nike Code of Conduct and Code Management Requirements have necessities prohibiting any kind of jail, compelled, bonded or indentured labor, together with detailed provisions for freedom of motion and prohibitions on discrimination based mostly on ethnic background or faith.’

Selecting NFL anthem kneeler for thirtieth anniversary advertisements  

Nike’s choice to choose NFL star Colin Kaepernick as one of many faces for advertisements commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of its Simply Do It slogan precipitated fairly the stir.

The athlete sparked nationwide controversy by taking a knee whereas the US anthem was performed earlier than video games throughout the NFL’s 2016 season to attract consideration to police killings of black males and different points. 

The anthem protests, quickly embraced by different gamers, polarized the nation.

Nike nonetheless launched marketing campaign imagery that featured a close-up of Kaepernick’s face with the message, ‘Imagine in one thing, even when it means sacrificing all the pieces.’

And it didn’t take lengthy for offended Nike consumers to announce a boycott – chopping up their socks, burning their sneakers, and sharing their outrage on social media. 

Then US president Donald Trump deemed the advert ‘a horrible message.’ 

Within the rapid aftermath, the sportswear firm felt the hit and suffered a 3 per cent dip, amounting to a $4billion (£3.1bn) loss. 

Regardless of the critics, Nike maintained that it supported Kaepernick who remained a divisive determine.

Keir Starmer joins fury at Nike’s ‘woke’ overhaul of recent England equipment and calls on the sportswear big to return to the standard purple St George’s Cross

Sir Keir Starmer has known as on Nike to alter the color of the St George’s Cross on a brand new England soccer shirt to conventional purple amid mounting fury over its design.

The Labour chief stated he believed the flag was a ‘unifier’ and insisted the American sportswear firm ought to ‘rethink’ the controversial choice to switch it.

It comes as followers blasted Nike for going ‘woke’ by switching the standard purple cross for one that includes navy, mild blue and purple on the shirt which prices as much as £125.

The corporate described the overhaul as a ‘playful replace’ on the collar to ‘unite and encourage’ followers – however supporters, pundits and politicians criticised the shirt following its launch on Monday and demanded the flag be returned to its authentic colors.

Now Sir Keir has spoken out concerning the transfer, telling The Solar: ‘I am a giant soccer fan, I’m going to England video games, women and men’s video games, and the flag is utilized by all people. It’s a unifier. It would not should be modified. We simply should be pleased with it.

‘So I believe they need to simply rethink this and alter it again. I am not even positive they’ll correctly clarify why they thought they wanted to alter it within the first place.’

The Conservatives account on X later added: ‘There’s just one St George’s cross’ – with an emoji displaying the standard model.