‘Ridiculous’ - Sir Jim Ratcliffe called out by England rugby captain as criticism over immigration comments continues

Ratcliffe prompted a vicious backlash from within the game after completely unprompted comments about immigration in an interview with Sky News. The INEOS founder said the United Kingdom had been "colonised by immigrants". His comments prompted revulsion, and Itoje, the England captain in rugby union, has also bitten back.

Itoje missed the start of the Six Nations training camp to attend his mother's funeral in Nigeria.

He said, per The Guardian: “Obviously I don’t condone the language he used.

“I was born in this country of Nigerian descent and I think it’s ridiculous to say Great Britain has been colonised by immigrants because that is so far from the truth. I think it’s wrong.”

He has also revealed his pride at representing his country, adding: “It’s been great to be back with England; it’s one of the things my mum loved. I don’t come from a traditional rugby family but my parents became rugby people through and through. She always loved the fact that I was a representative of this team.”

Ratcliffe's comments have sparked a wave of backlash.

The billionaire Manchester United co-owner, who resides in Monaco, has been urged to apologise after giving an interview to Sky News where he said: "You can't have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. I mean, the UK has been colonised. It's costing too much money. The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn't it? I mean, the population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it's 70 million. That's 12 million people."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Ratcliffe's comments "offensive and wrong" and told the United co-owner to apologise. Andy Burnham also spoke out about Ratcliffe's words, describing them as "inaccurate, insulting and inflammatory" and calling on the 73-year-old to retract his comments.

Ratcliffe has issued a statement that read: "I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern, but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth. My comments were made while answering questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing in the UK. My intention was to stress that governments must manage migration alongside investment in skills, industry and jobs so that long-term prosperity is shared by everyone. It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK."

Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST) have also reacted to Ratcliffe's words on social media, posting: "Manchester United belongs to all of its supporters. No fan should feel excluded from following or supporting the club because of their race, religion, nationality or background. Comments from the club’s senior leadership should make inclusion easier, not harder. This is not about politics; it is about ensuring that the custodians of Manchester United act in a way that unites supporters rather than marginalising any part of our fanbase."

The Football Association are now reviewing Ratcliffe's comments to see if there has been a rule breach, according to The Athletic. FA rules state that "participants" - which would include Ratcliffe as a director of Manchester United - must act in the best interests of the game and avoid improper or disreputable conduct.

The Ratcliffe saga comes at a time when United have replaced Ruben Amorim with Michael Carrick as manager and gone five games unbeaten to move back into the top four of the Premier League. United play Everton next week on February 23 after their weekend off due to their elimination from the FA Cup.