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05th May 2017

Sun journalist gets really upset after Ray Wilkins tells him he has no footballing knowledge

Poor Neil...

Nooruddean Choudry

This touched a nerve.

By now, you’ve probably seen Marcus Rashford’s stunning free-kick goal for Manchester United against Celta Vigo in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final. In case you haven’t, feast your eyes on this pearler…

No one could deny that Rashford’s strike was utterly sublime. However, some have questioned whether Celta goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez was partially to blame for the solitary goal at the Balaídos stadium.

The Spaniard took a step to his left (the side of the goal his wall were shielding), just before the ball whistled past his right post. Many feel the supremely talented and canny Rashford took advantage of this mistake.

But whatever your views on the goal, few will have debated it with such apparent antagonism and fury as former Manchester United midfielder Ray Wilkins and Sun writer Neil Custis on TalkSport on Thursday night.

Wilkins made the point that a “real goalkeeper would have saved it with his teeth”. Custis disagreed in quite a rude manner, suggesting that the ex-England international’s statement was a “joke”, “stupid” and “ridiculous”. But surely the Sun man would be able to take criticism, seeing as he was so happy to dish it out? It seems not.

Wilkins replied in kind with the rather cutting:

“Don’t talk to me about being ridiculous when it comes to footballing knowledge because you don’t have any, you write for a newspaper and you give your opinion.”

Custis got very sensitive very quickly at this suggestion, as you can listen below. Even when Wilkins apologised with “Well I’m sorry my friend”, hyper touchy Custis replied with “I’m not your friend”, before asking who Wilkins was.

Cripes…