Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe drew criticism after he said the UK had been ‘colonised by immigrants’
Maro Itoje has publicly distanced himself from comments made by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, saying he strongly disagrees with him after the Manchester United co-owner sparked a political storm with remarks about immigration.
Ratcliffe, who owns a stake in Manchester United through his company Ineos, told Sky News this week that the UK had been “colonised by immigrants” and suggested Prime Minister Keir Starmer was “too nice” to take tough economic decisions.
The comments drew widespread criticism from supporters’ groups and politicians, with Starmer branding them “offensive and wrong”.
Ratcliffe has since apologised, saying he was sorry his “choice of language has offended some people” and insisting he wanted to encourage debate around “controlled and well-managed immigration”.
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Speaking on BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly, England captain Itoje made his stance clear.
“I disagree with the terminology and the sentiments of what he said. I do not believe Great Britain has been colonised by immigrants,” Itoje said.
“I think that’s an inaccurate, wrong thing to say.
“I have read that he has apologised for his comments. I think it’s admirable when people realise they have messed up, so I commend him for that. But I obviously do not condone the sentiments or the message behind those words.”
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Itoje, who was born in north London to Nigerian parents, spoke passionately about his identity and what representing England means to him.
“I sit before you as a man who was born in north London and a very proud Londoner,” he added. “I’m very proud to have this English identity, play for England and captain England.
“It’s one of my greatest accomplishments. Regardless of what I do for the rest of my life, this is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.
“But I’m also of Nigerian descent and I’m equally as proud of that heritage.”
The 31-year-old added that he felt Ratcliffe’s comments were clumsy and factually incorrect, pointing to the population figures cited in the interview.
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“I just think it was very clumsy wording and factually inaccurate — the figures he was talking about. I think he was perhaps just confusing just a couple of conflicting issues.”
Ratcliffe had claimed the UK population had risen from 58 million in 2020 to 70 million, a figure not supported by official statistics.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the population was estimated at 66.7 million in mid-2020 and 69.4 million in mid-2025.
Fan groups linked to Manchester United were quick to condemn the remarks, warning that such language risks alienating parts of the club’s diverse support base.
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