Football: Internet fury at way ex-international footballer touches daughter

A former English League and international footballer has been slated by social media for the way he touched his daughter during the national anthem of a match he was going to play in.

Ex-Portsmouth, Crystal Palace and Australia player Craig Foster was filmed affectionately stroking his eight-year-old daughter’s chest ahead of the Australian Legends game in Sydney.

His daughter was a mascot and Foster simply had his arm around her – but his loving treatment of the youngest of his three children has produced a stinging attack from the net and the footage went viral.

The 46-year-old is now a commentator and tweeted how “special” it was to have his “beautiful daughter” on the pitch with him as a mascot.

But within hours there were more than 10,000 comments after the clip appeared on Facebook and YouTube, many of which were shocked.

One wrote: “Very uncomfortable to watch! If I was the mum i would storm over and give him a mouthful singing anthem or not!!”

Another commented: “I think most people are flat out shocked and not entirely sure how to react, to be honest.”

Others have come to Foster’s defence, claiming: “Can’t be affectionate toward your own kid any more. Everyone who thinks this is wrong is actually perverted for thinking such a thing,” while another wrote: “I would do the same to my own daughter and think nothing of it but affection. I know what he’s doing and what he means - come on let’s not look at everything so bad most people are still good in the world.”

Foster has not commented further on the response.