EXCLUSIVE: Commentator who blasted Havertz ‘rubbish’ breaks silence

Steve Kay

Updated: 30 Jul 2023 05:12 CDT
3 min read

The MUTV commentator who called Kai Havertz ‘rubbish’ has spoken out following backlash aimed at him from Arsenal fans.

Article continues under the video

Havertz started alongside Declan Rice in midfield with captain Martin Odegaard in Manchester United’s game with the Gunners.

The north London club struggled and went 2-0 down in the first-half, a deficit they failed to turn around. Mikel Arteta made substitutions for the second-half, but the former Chelsea attacker remained on the pitch.

Commentator Ben Thornley spoke about the performance of the club at the interval. He said: "Well, I'd have just taken Kai Havertz off cause he's rubbish!"

Commentator irons out words

Social media gave the MUTV man some backlash. But now, speaking to FootballTransfers exclusively, Thornley has opened up: “The Havertz comment was tongue in cheek. I don’t have an agenda with him or dislike him in any way. In pre-season games, you always get many changes regardless of performance as the manager has a pre-determined idea of how long each player should get.

"My point about Havertz was that he was anonymous up to that point and that his substitution should have been brought about because of his poor contribution.

no way the commentator just called Havertz rubbish😭😭
— Raf (@CFCRaf2) July 22, 2023

He continued: “I’m sure Arsenal fans scratched their heads as to how Chelsea still managed to claw back almost what they paid for him and in three seasons, he struggled to hit the heights that his transfer fee suggested he might.

“I will say that I shouldn’t have used the word ‘rubbish’. It wasn’t used to describe him as a player. Not at all. It was only a description of the performance I’d seen from him in that particular game, which is two entirely different things - the whole thing was blown way out of proportion by some. I wouldn’t do it again though-even as a joke or even if it were true.”