Trevor Sinclair asked if he regrets Queen’s death tweet – 'That's wasn't my intention'

Trevor Sinclair admitted he should have been more empathetic to those mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, but does not regret the content of his controversial tweet after her death at the age of 96.

In September 2022, the former West Ham United and England forward was stood down by TalkSPORT after sending a tweet which asked why "black and brown" people should mourn her passing. He wrote: "Racism was outlawed in England in the 60s & it's been allowed to thrive, so why should black & brown mourn?"

He went on to delete the tweet and deactivate his Twitter page before reinstating it and issuing an apology which said: “My tweet yesterday was ill timed at a time when the Royal Family, and many around the world, were grieving for the Queen. I apologise for any offence caused to those mourning the Queen.”

Nearly two years after he was stood down, Sinclair, 51, admitted the timing of his tweet was ill-advised. But in terms of the words he used and the point he wanted to put across, the Dulwich native stands by his words.

“It’s not that I regret the content of the tweet,” Sinclair said in an interview on The Ben Heath podcast. “I regret the lack of empathy for the grieving family and, possibly, for people who had a very lovely relationship with the Queen, even if they might not have known her.

“I regret upsetting them, because that’s not what my intention was. Sadly, emotions at that time came out of me, because of my own loss and seeing everyone look at the Queen just as a positive.

“I’m sure there were lots of positives about the Queen, but there were also other people who look through different lenses, not just in this country, but all over the world, who look through a different lens and it wasn’t a positive one."

Sinclair regularly appeared as a pundit on the sports radio station and was a frequent guest on the popular daily show hosted by Jim White and Simon Jordan. Aside from an appearance in January 2023, four months after his suspension, Sinclair has not worked for talkSPORT again.

Sinclair, who earned 12 international caps for England and appeared in four of the Three Lions' matches in the 2002 World Cup, saw his comments be condemned by many of those in the footballing world and beyond.

His talkSPORT colleague and regular sparring partner, Jordan, was one of the first to criticise Sinclair's tweet. The ex-Crystal Palace owner said: “I’m really not sure that is an appropriate thought, let alone tweet. The country has lost a very significant person and respect and value should be the overriding sentiments not division!”

In January, Sinclair joined India's coaching staff for the Asian Cup. He linked up with ex-West Ham team-mate Igor Stimac, who he played alongside between 1999 and 2001.