Roy Hodgson has been assured that there is no discontent within his squad after details of a joke he told in the England dressing room found their way into the media.
The Football Association has given the manager their backing over the quip about a monkey in space, made at half-time of the win over Poland. Hodgson told the joke to illustrate why his side should pass to Andros Townsend but had to apologise amid claims his words were was racist.
It is not yet clear how part of the team talk came to be in the press, but FA chairman Greg Dyke revealed in a statement that no complaint had been made and none of the players were unhappy with Hodgson's words. Lord Ouseley, chairman of Kick It Out, had initially called for the FA to investigate but the anti-racism campaign group have now accepted that the matter is concluded.
Dyke said: "Roy is a man of the highest integrity. He has explained to us what he said and the point he was making to the players. He has also explained the context in which he made his remarks. He has made clear there was no intent to say anything inappropriate, and he was not making comments with racist connotation.
"Roy has spoken with Andros and a number of the players and he has been assured there are no problems. The FA has been assured that there are no problems and they understand the point Roy was making and the context in which he was speaking."
Hodgson apologised for any offence he might have caused and received widespread support, including from Tottenham winger Townsend. "There was absolutely no intention on my part to say anything inappropriate," he said. "I made this clear to Andros in the dressing room. I also spoke to Andros again on Wednesday. He has assured me he didn't take offence, and understood the point I was making in the manner I intended."
Townsend, whose father Troy is the mentoring manager for Kick It Out, wrote on Twitter: "I don't know what all this fuss is about. No offence was meant and none was taken! It's not even news worthy!"
The joke is one that gain popularity around NASA in the 1960s after the US space agency sent monkeys into space before humans. One version is that the first time NASA send a man into space a monkey goes with him and does the skilled technical jobs. The astronaut grows frustrated and asks NASA what he should do. They reply: "Don't touch anything - just feed the monkey."
It is believed Hodgson was trying to illustrate the need for England's players to give the ball to Townsend while he was in space on the flanks.
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