Awol-inclined Liverpool fullback and Twitter bug Glen Johnson hit back at criticism from a particular Sky pundit by tweeting: “Comments from alcoholic drug abusers are not really gonna upset me and who is Paul Merson to judge players, he was average at the best of times. The only reason he’s on that show is coz he gambled all his money away. The clown!”

Defending himself, two-time League winner ‘Merse’ maintained Johnson can’t defend, but “one thing I would never do is comment publicly on someone else’s private life.”