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24 June 2014updated 24 Jun 2021 12:59pm

Why would a grieving family want to hear from a not-quite England footballer, Ian Wright?

The Sun columnist says football players shirking international duty should have to call the parents of someone killed in Afghanistan and explain themselves. What?

By Media Mole

The Sun has lead with a World Cup story on its front page this morning – that of a headmaster who allegedly took time off during term to go and watch the footie in Brazil.

Frontpage image courtesy of @suttonnick

The lead story isn’t the most interesting bit about it, though. Zoom in a bit on the left, and you get the promo for Ian Wright’s column.

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Yes, you read that right. It says:

The next young player who says he does not want to play for England should be ordered to ring the parents of a soldier who has died serving his country in Afghanistan and tell them his reasons.”

There’s so much wrong there this mole doesn’t really know where to start. How about with the extraordinary insensitivity of it? Surely the last thing a family grieving the loss of a son or daughter in a conflict zone wants is a phone call from a twenty-something footballer who just didn’t really fancy taking on the extra pressure and scrutiny of playing for his national side.

That conversation might go a bit like this, in fact:

Anyway, why would this family even care? Somehow, Wright has pulled off the tricky manoeuvre of writing something both nonsensical and offensive. Give the man a trophy.

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