MATT LE TISSIER has revealed he believes he was sacked by Sky Sports over his views on coronavirus, before insisting: “I’m not a fool!”
The former Premier League star, 54, was suspended by the broadcasters along with Phil Thompson and Charlie Nicholas in August 2020 – just five months after the start of the global pandemic.
Le Tissier claims he researched Covid-19 conspiracy theories out of boredom during the first lockdown.
Saturday’s ex-footballer was outspoken in his views and even suggested that images of the infected people in China looked “completely inauthentic”.
Le Tissier made headlines again a year ago after controversially tweeting a suggestion that the media had “lied” about Russian war crimes in Bucha, Ukraine – leading to him stepping down from his role as ambassador for Southampton FC.
And then the former footballer continues speaking The AJ Roberts Showspoke about “connecting the dots” on Covid, his sacking from Sky Sports and more – before insisting: “I’m not a fool.”
Le Tissier said: “I started working in media from 2002 until the end of August 2020, which was an interesting scenario where I lost my job.
‘Obviously the pandemic started in March 2020 – and very early on I had my doubts about what was really going on.
HOW TO GET FREE BETTS ON THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL
‘I had the feeling early on that the governments were massively overreacting to it.
“And that’s where it all started for me questioning the story and probably leading to me losing my job at Sky.”
In 2020, Le Tissier caused a firestorm after infamously comparing an argument on a train over a face covering to Holocaust survivor Anne Frank.
And the controversial positions kept coming, even suggesting that “crisis actors” were deployed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Le Tissier further claimed that Premier League footballers were urged to remain silent about the war in Ukraine.
He also called football chiefs ‘misguided’ for not questioning the apparent high number of cardiac arrests in football in recent months – including Christian Eriksen at the 2021 European Championship.
Le Tissier said: “I am not a stupid person, I know this is not the same as what happened before. I have never seen so many incidents on football fields.
“Sorry mate, you’re kidding yourself if you think this is the same as what happened during the seventeen years I was a professional footballer. Shocking.”