Matt Le Tissier launches bizarre attack on David Beckham for posting photo of himself with Bill Gates, as ostracized former Southampton star continues to promote anti-vax conspiracy theories against the Microsoft billionaire

Former Southampton star Matt Le Tissier has launched a bizarre attack on David Beckham for taking a photo with Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates.

Beckham shared a photo with himself alongside Gates on Instagram last year, declaring it a 'real honour' to meet him but Le Tissier strangely said: 'Why are you getting involved with that bloke for? Do you have any idea what crimes he's committed?'

Le Tissier - who is known for his fringe views and insisted 'I'm not a nutter' last year, after questioning vaccines - went as far as to say the image 'made my stomach turn'. 

Gates has never been convicted or even charged with any crimes and is widely heralded for his philanthropy. This is not the first time Le Tissier - who has described himself as a 'conspiracy realist' in the past, strangely targeted the American. 

Back in 2021, he appeared to imply that Gates could be linked to the death of Tanzania president John Magafuli.

Magafuli died in March 2021 of reported heart complications just days after the country's Prime Minister had declared he was 'healthy and working hard'.

Le Tissier subsequently posted a screenshot of an article by The Guardian that had criticised Magafuli's anti-vaxxer stance shortly before his death, and pointed out the piece was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Speaking to former Premier League footballer David Cotterill, Le Tissier said: 'My stomach turned when I saw that picture of David Beckham with Bill Gates. 

'I mean, seriously, why? You were a good footballer, David, you weren't great. You weren't world-class. You were a very, very good footballer at what you did, you were very good.

'Why are you getting involved with that bloke for? Do you have any idea what crimes he's committed?'

Cotterill responded by asking whether Le Tissier thinks Beckham 'has to' be seen with global figures like Gates.

Le Tissier replied: 'Yeah. I think it's all part and parcel of that circle of people at that level.'

It seems Le Tissier is referring to unfounded claims about the Gates Foundation and vaccines. Le Tissier has been widely labelled an 'anti-vax' conspiracy theorist. 

In recent years, Le Tissier has regularly criticised Gates, questioning his involvement in the Covid-19 vaccine.

Le Tissier has labelled himself a 'conspiracy realist' in the past, and blamed his sacking from his job on Soccer Saturday with Sky Sports in 2020 on not being afraid to express his outlandish views. Among his claims were that PCR tests 'were the biggest fraud ever perpetrated on mankind', dying Covid patients in Italy 'were actors' and that the government's interference in people's lives during lockdown was an 'injustice'.

Le Tissier also told The AJ Roberts Show that he had doubts about the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic early on after seeing videos of people in China falling over in the street that 'looked completely inauthentic'.

He explained that this led to him doing some 'research' on those he believed were involved in trying to convince people to take the vaccine, including Gates.

The former Premier League star also appeared to suggest on social media that images of Russia's massacre of civilians in Bucha, Ukraine, following their invasion of the country last year had been exaggerated, with 'crisis actors' used to make the situation look worse than it was.

These claims from Le Tissier have since been disproved.