Nike break silence on ‘woke’ England kit row as Three Lions legends furiously respond to altered St George’s Cross
NIKE have insisted they "never intended to offend anyone" over the controversial new England kit.
Adding purple to the St George's Flag has divided opinion - with Three Lions' legend Peter Shilton, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer among those opposing the change.
But other observers point out there have been flag alterations in the past, such as with the Team GB kit at the London 2012 Olympics.
Now Nike have released a statement saying "it was never our intention to offend".
The manufacturer added the "intention was to celebrate the heroes of 1966 and their achievements" with a "playful" new design.
Both Nike and the FA also say there are no plans to adjust the kit as Euro 2024 approaches.
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Shilton, England's most capped men's player ever, has been one of the the kit's fiercest critics.
The 74-year-old said: "This is wrong on every level. I'm totally against it. Including the price that Nike are going to charge.
"It's woke. If you're going to put the St George's Cross on a kit, which obviously Nike have done, then just put it on with the traditional colours. Like the Three Lions, it's traditional."
Fellow ex-Three Lions keeper David Seaman agreed.
The Arsenal icon said: "It doesn't need fixing. What's next, are they going to change the Three Lions to three cats?
Leave it alone. It's the St George's Flag. I'm sure that if they'd approached the lads and asked them about it, they would have said no."
Meanwhile, Sunak said: "Obviously I prefer the original, and my general view is that when it comes to our national flags, we shouldn't mess with them.
"Because they are a source of pride, identity, who we are, and they're perfect as they are."