If Gary Lineker really believes his own words about Harry Kane and blaming journalists for the England 's***' storm then it's not irony, it's idiocy, writes CRAIG HOPE

Of irony, it was once said: ‘Irony is a great tool to deal with things. It’s an intellectualisation, a way to go above things.’

So maybe Gary Lineker is a very clever man. Maybe when he washed his hands of his potty-mouthed verdict of England and put it all back on us grubby journalists, he was being smart. Maybe he was laughing his jugs off all the while.

Or, more likely - given the absurd conviction of what he said on Monday - he really did not see the irony in him accusing reporters of being too scared to own their opinion, all the while refusing to take ownership of the word he had used. Ironic, too, that it is Lineker who seems spooked by all of this.

To recap. Lineker, speaking on his podcast last week, labelled England ‘s***’ during their 1-1 draw with Denmark. It made headlines. Harry Kane was then asked about it on Sunday and, contrary to what Lineker claims, the captain was aware of his predecessor’s profanity before it was put to him.

Kane knew what he wanted to say by way of response, reminding Lineker that he won nothing as an England player and that some in the squad were impacted by his words. He pleaded for more responsibility from a person of such influence.

He was not being goaded by the press, as Lineker suggests. It was not us seizing on a throwaway comment he had made, adding some gravy and serving it to Kane as a dish laced with poison. It was a straight question - Lineker called you s***, what do you think? He thought a lot, as it turns out. It would, on reflection, have been a dereliction of duty had we not asked him about it, given the reaction to it in camp.

‘Journalists being what journalists are,’ began Lineker on his podcast on Monday. ‘They can be a bit tricky on these things trying to wind up our footballers. It’s happened to me over the years. You sit there as a player and it’s your turn to face the press and, at some point, a journalist says, “So and so has been critical of you” and you know they’ve not heard it.’

Does Lineker, with his 8.9 million followers on X, really believe Kane would have been happily unaware of his comment if not for our intervention? That’s not ironic, it’s idiocy. You said it, Gary, you own it. He was not done there.

‘….a journalist not being brave enough to ask their own questions. I guarantee whoever asked that would have probably been critical himself. I think they do it A) to stir the pot and B) because they’re too scared to ask the questions themselves.’

Yes, we have all been critical (and yes, we have put such opinions to the players and manager) but none of us are former England captains and the BBC’s highest-paid employee who used foul language to make their point.

To be fair to Alan Shearer, Lineker’s podcast co-host, he did not join in the journalist-bashing. Indeed, he cut straight through Lineker’s bulls*** when said: ‘It might have been the word s*** (that annoyed them).’

There you have it, Gary. You used as a sensationalist word - Kane says you did it for clicks - and now you’re in the s*** with England’s players, you’re attempting to blame us. Just like that unfortunate incident at Italia 90, this s*** is on you.