Defiant Gary Lineker pictured for first time since Calais Jungle ‘racist’ storm
The outspoken Match of the Day presenter told one Twitter user "I'll say what I want"
GARY Lineker has hit out over the furious backlash about his child migrants comments, vowing: "I'll say what I want."
The Match of the Day host, 55, has faced calls from MPs to be sacked from his BBC job.
Lineker said: "I'll say what I want on my twitter feed, thanks. However old they are they're bloody human beings, like you....well sort of."
He already admitted he had been given “a bit of a spanking” for his remarks. He added he was “rather chuffed” to be called a “luvvie” by critics.
When one football fan told him he hoped he would lose his post, the ex-football ace bluntly replied: “I won’t.”
It came as the immigration minister Robert Goodwill dismissed calls to do more to check the age of “child” migrants arriving in Britain.
Ordinary Twitter users slammed Lineker’s stance and hit out at Leftie luvvies like Lily Allen, who caused fury by "apologising" for Britain's treatment of migrants.
Chris Dann tweeted: “@GaryLineker Maybe you and Lily Allen can put up the funding needed to house, look after, school, Police, all the refugees?”
@Chrischew2 said: “Being as you are so concerned will you be offering any refugees sanctuary Gary? “Your house is certainly big enough.”
Another Twitter user, @kmontybags, wrote: “@GaryLineker imagine working your b**** off in England just to survive and rich people telling me how lucky I am.”
Another, @andyr, posted: “@GaryLineker can you imagine being poor or without a job, maybe you would think differently. It’s not about racism.”
Lineker’s job at the BBC was first questioned by two MPs after he endorsed a charity’s false claims over one child refugee.
Fostering group TACT had wrongly claimed the migrant was in fact a Home Office interpreter.
Officials quickly pointed out that statement was completely wrong.
But by then Lineker had already forwarded TACT’s tweet to his 5.3 million Twitter followers.
He did not apologise for his blunder and was backed by left-wing whingers, including Labour leadership duds Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband.
The pair both tweeted strong support for Lineker on Twitter.
RELATED STORIES
It came despite The Sun revealing how one of the first “child” refugees to arrive in the UK had already been found by officials to be over 18.
Fingerprint checks officially revealed the “boy” to be an adult — throwing the whole vetting system into doubt.
Corbyn told his followers: “I admire @GaryLineker and @lilyallen for showing Britain at its best: compassionate, welcoming, and standing up to fear and division.”
Mr Miliband — who proudly posed with a copy of The Sun in the past — added: “The Sun should lay off @GaryLineker.
“Compassion and solidarity are great British values. Since when should people be sacked for them?”
Chris Sussman, head of comedy at BBC Studios, tweeted: “I’m proud that @GaryLineker works at the BBC. Brilliant footballer, great presenter and clearly someone with a lot of compassion.”
Beeb weatherman Charlie Slater posted: “@GaryLineker respect you for standing up and saying something. More need to do the same.”
And ex-Downing Street spinner Alastair Campbell added: “How dare @GaryLineker have humane and intelligent opinions? Doesn’t he know these are not allowed in Brexit Britain?”.
Home Office minister Robert Goodwill slapped down MPs who demanded better checking of “child” migrants’ ages in heated exchanges in the Commons.
Tory MPs triggered an urgent debate and told Mr Goodwill he risked doing “irreparable damage to public confidence in the asylum system” unless more was done.
But Mr Goodwill insisted: “These young people have had to grow up beyond their years because they are children who’ve had their childhood robbed from them and have had to fend for themselves.”
He added: “Teenagers appearances vary widely.”
But Tory MP Philip Davies raged: “We agreed to take on child refugees and really it’s not too much to ask of the Government that they are children.”
The Commons showdown came as the latest refugee children arrived from the Calais Jungle.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368