Graeme Souness 'doesn't regret a word' of comments that sparked sexism row

Graeme Souness has doubled down on his "man's game" comments amid an escalating sexism row, saying he does not regret "a word of it" despite uproar among England women's players.

The former Liverpool manager launched a staunch defence of his remarks on Sky Sports as he appeared on his TalkSport radio slot with Simon Jordan, who dismissed the furore as "cobblers".

Souness had prompted a backlash from the likes of  Eniola Aluko and Bethany England after declaring that fiery scenes between Chelsea and Tottenham showed  "it’s a man's game all of a sudden now".

When asked on Monday morning whether he regretted making the comment, Souness, who now has a regular slot on the White and Jordan show, said: "Not a word of it".

He added: "I've been saying for years, the referees have such a major part to play in the success of the Premier League because...we were fast becoming like other leagues where the ref was blowing the whistle all the time, the game didn't flow, and it just wasn't a very good watch."

"Our game has always been unique. It's always been more meaty, more in your face, more intense, and we've got away from that. And I think yesterday...I said 'we've got our game back'. You know that is the kind of football I remember playing and our league will be better for it. We are back and the directive to the referees is long overdue. We've got our game back.

"I enjoyed two games of football yesterday where men were playing men, and they got about themselves at times. They were falling out with each other."

During his punditry the previous evening on Sky, Karen Carney, who was capped more than 100 times for England, appeared to raise an eyebrow as she sat alongside him as he made the remarks. Carney's former England team-mate