PHIL Neville has has been forced to apologise for sexist tweets that have come to light since his appointment as the new England Women head coach.

The Bury-born former England defender faced criticism within hours of his appointment being confirmed on Tuesday over messages he posted in 2012.

In one tweet, he said he expected women not to have been reading his Twitter messages but to have been 'preparing breakfast/getting kids ready/making the beds'.

Neville appeared to delete his Twitter account, @fizzer18, after the comments came to light.

His new employer, the Football Association, issued a statement from Neville on Wednesday that read: "Following comments made a number of years ago I would like to clarify that they were not and are not a true and genuine reflection of either my character or beliefs, and would like to apologise.

"I am fully aware of my responsibilities as the England Women's head coach and am immensely proud and honoured to have been given the role. I am now looking forward to the future and will work tirelessly to try and help bring success to the team."

The Women's Sport Trust had called on the FA and Neville to address the former player's comments, and anti-discrimination group Kick It Out has called for strong action to be taken, including a possible charge.