Former England women's captain, Faye White, has hit back at comments made by former England manager Kevin Keegan, after he admitted to having a "problem" with women pundits in the men's game.
Speaking to the audience as part of his ‘An Evening With Kevin Keegan OBE’ show, Keegan hit out at women pundits commenting on men’s football.
Keegan said at his show in Bristol: “I don’t like to listen to ladies talking about the England men’s team at the match, because I don’t think it’s the same experience. I have a problem with that.”
He added that some of the female pundits "are so good they are better than the guys".
Faye White responded to Kevin Keegan's comments on female pundits
GB News
Joined by former England goalkeeper and football legend Peter Shilton OBE, the pair debated the comments made by Keegan with GB News presenter Patrick Christys.
Patrick asked White: "Do you think he's got a point?"
White said: “Well, he has his opinion. That's his opinion, isn't it? I've met Kevin Keegan a couple of times now, and one time was when he actually came when I was an England player and coached us when he was a manager, and he spent the day with us and trained us.
“Obviously I wasn't in the room, I didn't hear the context of his remarks, but obviously everyone has an opinion and obviously this has sparked some controversy. And for me, yes, obviously the females wouldn't have played in a top-level men's game.
White continued: "But I've been on a panel many a time where I've been on a Women's World Cup and have had a male that presents as a pundit to kind of give it credibility or to give it that kind of, well, it's proper now because we've got a male sat here commentating or having his opinion about it.
“For me it just opens up the thing of, well, you know, if there's a top class player, male player, but he's never played in a World Cup match, does that mean he could shouldn't really comment on a World Cup game? Or if there's a manager who never played at the top level, does that mean they can never go on to become a top-level manager in the men's game so obviously, it's all about opinions, isn't it?”
Patrick then asked Shilton for his opinion on the comments, asking: "Is there something to be said for the idea that men's football is like a place for men in society and, you know, can we just have that or not?"
Shilton replied: "No of course not Patrick, I think you know this day and age with equal opportunities in many things you know women and men come together so much.
Kevin Keegan has faced criticism for his comments on female pundits
PA
"I've always been a big supporter of the women's football especially the last five or six years, Jill Scott when she broke her caps record and you know the EUROs and the World Cup, women's football has improved dramatically.
Shilton defended the comments, admitting: “I personally can see what Kevin was getting at. I think it's been taken out of context. I mean he’s been described as a dinosaur. He was managing Man City in 2005, so you know it's not that long ago. He's a man of big experience and managed England.
"And I think basically what he's actually saying, would women play against men in the men's game? No, they won't because of obvious other things.
"And you know, should a woman who's probably been at the top of her career in the last four or five years in the women's game, be put in front of maybe somebody that's got 15 year’s experience of top class international football?”
