A British footballer is facing a backlash after appearing to perform a Nazi salute in a photograph.
Crystal Palace and Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was photographed with his clubmates after their FA Cup victory over Grimsby on Saturday evening.
In the photograph shared on social media by teammate Max Meyer, the 31-year-old can be seen with his right arm raised and the other hand covering his mouth seemingly in the pose made infamous by the Nazis.
After the photo began to receive negative attention online, Mr Hennessey took to Twitter to share his explanation, saying he “waved and shouted at the person taking the picture to get on with it and at the same time put my hand over my mouth to make the sound carry”.
Many on the social media platform felt his explanation was laughable, posting incredulous replies to his explanatory tweet.
“put my hand over my mouth to make the sound carry” pic.twitter.com/5KMD8fUvsW
— Connor Sturt (@ConnorSturt) January 7, 2019
— umeskimo (@umeskimo) January 7, 2019
— Matthew Nyland (@mattynyland99) January 7, 2019
Later in his Twitter statement, Hennessy writes: “I can assure everyone I would never ever do that and any resemblance to that kind of gesture is absolutely coincidental”.
The anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out has suggested the Football Association should investigate.
Kick It Out told The Daily Telegraph that it had received independent reports about the image which had been passed on to the FA.
