WARRINGTON-born Jesse Lingard and his Manchester United co-star Marcus Rashford have been criticised after being photographed with controversial rapper Wiley.

The grime artist sparked outrage in 2020 after publishing a string of antisemitic posts on social media.

A picture of the two England internationals with the musician – which was reportedly taken on Sunday in Dubai, where Wiley was performing and where a number of footballers are currently taking winter breaks – was published by the Jewish Chronicle yesterday, Tuesday.

Both Lingard, 29, and Rashford have since released statements condemning antisemitism following a backlash.

The former, an ex-Beamont Collegiate Academy pupil, stated: "I've been made aware of a photo circulating currently, that can easily be misconstrued.

“I want to make it clear that I do not condone any form of racism whatsoever.”

Lingard has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford to Newcastle United in recent days.

A tweet by Rashford added: "This picture has been brought to my attention which I understand now, given context, could easily be misconstrued.

"I would like to reinforce that I do not and will not condone discriminative language or behaviour of any kind aimed at the Jewish community or any other community.

"I truly believe that tackling antisemitism in and outside of the game requires a greater level of attention and should very much form part of the game's anti-racism stance."

Wiley was dropped by his management company after his outburst two years ago and had several online accounts closed down.

Rashford has previously spoken out against racism and was widely hailed for his response last year after becoming a target for abuse following his missed penalty in the Euro 2020 final.

He has also been praised for his activism, most notably his campaign against child food poverty, and was awarded an MBE last year.