Jamie Vardy uses Richard Keys defence in brushing off Dele Alli’s middle finger criticism

If you took offence to Dele Alli's use of a middle finger then you need to take a long, hard look at yourself in the mirror.

That's our stance on the matter. But Jamie Vardy's position on the Spurs midfielder's rude gesture this week is perhaps the best of all. https://twitter.com/dele_official/status/904827443181170692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joe.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fdele-alli-takes-to-twitter-to-clarify-middle-finger-gesture-140753 Vardy opted to break out the Richard Keys defence of his international teammate, excusing the middle finger due to the absolute and undeniable need for banter among footballers in 2017. "It would definitely be harsh [to ban Alli]," Vardy said at the launch of the new Sky 1 documentary series The Next Jamie Vardy. "If he is getting reprimanded for that, then we might as well take emotion and enjoyment out of the game. Everyone has got to have a bit of banter, otherwise I don’t think you would get through the day of being a footballer." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JePguX_Vis It would be a different story if Alli had actually directed the gesture at the referee or an opposition player but the fact that it was used as something of a private joke between himself and a former clubmate makes it something of a non-issue. Sure, kids were watching but they see and hear a lot more examples of vulgarity on the schoolyard on a daily basis. And Vardy is of the opinion that the furore that surrounded a simple bird-flip is no more than a storm in a teacup. "The middle finger? Come on, it’s harmless, isn’t it? It’s just something that has been blown out of proportion," Vardy added. "He was doing it to Walks and he’s replied a little on his Twitter. It’s just harmless banter and has been blown way out of proportion. https://twitter.com/JOE_co_uk/status/905127549990301697 "They’re always having a laugh and a giggle. That’s just how they are. “They were teammates for a few years. They’re going to like to mess around, especially now that Walks has moved on himself. It’s probably the only chance they do get to mess around, when they’re with England.”