LONDON: Former England forward Matt Le Tissier has stood down from his role as an ambassador with Premier League club Southampton following a backlash over a controversial social media post on the war in Ukraine.

The 53-year-old ex-Southampton player on Tuesday re-tweeted a message suggesting media manipulation in the reporting on the war regarding the alleged massacre of Ukrainian civilians by Russian troops in the town of Bucha.

There has been an international outcry over hundreds of civilians found dead in areas from which Russian troops have withdrawn around Kyiv.

Le Tissier, who scored 209 goals in 540 appearances for Southampton, wrote “This” and a pointing-down emoji towards a message suggesting the media had “lied” over various issues including coronavirus.

He deleted the post and sought to clarify his position by saying “the point was about the media manipulation”.

He posted another update on Wednesday to make it “very clear” he does “not advocate war in any way shape or form”, adding he did not “advocate anyone taking lives of others and anyone who commits such acts should be dealt with accordingly”.

Le Tissier, who was a huge star in the early years of the Premier League, then announced he had decided to “step aside” from his position at the club.

“To all the fans of SFC. I have decided to step aside from my role as an ambassador of SFC. My views are my own and always have been, and it’s important to take this step today to avoid any confusion,” he wrote.

“This does not affect my relationship with and love for my club, and I will always remain a fan and supporter of everything Saints.

“I can, however, see that due to recent events it’s important to separate the work I believe in from my relationship with the club I have supported and played for most of my life.”

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2022