England fans have unearthed 'proof' that Harvey Elliott wasn't protesting the Three Lions' controversial kit during an U21 match.
England's new kit for Euro 2024 officially went on sale on Thursday ahead of the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium and has caused controversy since its release.
The new kit features a St George's cross on the back of the collar, with different colours to the typical red design. The horizontal cross of the flag instead also features navy, blue and purple.
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That change has angered a minority of England fans, with some users on X branding the change 'disrespectful'.
The FA has already confirmed it won't be recalling the shirt and that England's senior team will wear it as normal when they face Brazil at Wembley on Saturday.
It will not be the first time the kit has been worn in a competitive match, however, with England U21s already sporting it in their 5-1 win over Azerbaijan on Friday afternoon.
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During the match, Liverpool star Elliott – who scored twice in the game – was spotted wearing the kit with his collar up.
That prompted speculation on social media over whether the 20-year-old had opted to hide the flag as a protest.
However, those conspiracy theories have since been rubbished by other England fans, who have pointed out that Elliott wore his collar in a similar while playing on loan at Blackburn Rovers in the 2020/21 season.
Sharing an image of Elliott wearing his collar up that season, one fan posted: "Harvey Elliott hiding his cross on his ermmm Blackburn Rovers shirt... or doesn't this work as well? Almost as if the Liverpool kits don't have collars to do this with..."
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Meanwhile another fan wrote: "You can tell that people haven't watched football / sports in general for years, judging by the reactions to Harvey #Elliott flipping his collar for @England U21s. Most sportsman these days flip their collar. It's part of the fashion trend."
England manager Gareth Southgate has played down the controversy around the kit and says he has no issue with the design.
"I haven't really followed it," he said. "I have been told there’s a lot of noise. I’ve got enough on my plate trying to piece the team together...
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"My view is if it’s not white with a red cross it’s not the St George's flag. So whatever it is, it’s a quirky design feature which I guess a Banksy or a Reuben Dangoor might do.
"If the debate is 'should the England flag be on the England shirt?', we’ve had moments where it has been and moments where it hasn't been.
"The most important thing on the England shirt is the Three Lions, really."
Topics: England, Euro 2024, Harvey Elliott
Rory O'Callaghan