Richard Keys SAVAGES Gabby Agbonlahor in Twitter tirade

Richard Keys has launched an astonishing Twitter tirade against former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor.

The Twitter attack came after the TalkSPORT pundit accused him and others of being ‘dinosaurs’ in regards to their views on Jesse Lingard’s move to Nottingham Forest.

Writing on social media, Keys, who left Sky Sports in 2011 after footage emerged showing him to make sexist jibes toward assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis and other female figures, accused Agbonlahor of being an ‘unprofessional’ player during his playing days. 

He wrote: ‘I didn’t realise Gabby Agbonlahor was on the radio. His broadcasting career is obviously as insignificant as his playing career.’

He added: ‘Described to me today by a Villa staff member as “the most unprofessional he’d ever worked with”. Apps 351. Gls (sic) 76. Is he still at Watford?’

Agbonlahor fired back across the bows of Keys by referencing his 2011 sacking from Sky Sports as well as allegations that he had had an affair with his daughter’s best friend. It is an allegation the BeIN Sports presenter denies.  

‘Speaking of insignificance…after being fired for sexism and getting your wife mixed up with your daughter’s best friend,’ he wrote. ‘I also wasn’t aware they’d let you back on air. But keep using my name to stay relevant hairy hands.’  

The tweet came in response to Agbonlahor calling out the likes of Keys and others for their criticisms of Lingard following his move to Forest last week. 

He told talkSPORT: ‘I’ve got no problem with it at all (Lingard going to Forest). And I feel like a lot of the dinosaurs, the older generation, need to zip it and just get on with it. 

‘If he wants to do “JLingz”, if he wants to dance, if he wants to go on TikTok, good for him.  Don’t listen to these dinosaurs, the Simon Jordans, the Richard Keys, all these jokers.’

His comments on talkSPORT came after he had told Keys to ‘shut ya mouth’ in response to his tweet questioning who was advising Lingard. 

Keys himself had tweeted a photo of Lingard with ‘JLingz’, his nickname, on the back of his Forest shirt captioned ‘Who is advising this guy? Really?’ 

The veteran presenter then suggested the ‘bottom line’ of the criticism of Lingard’s move to Forest was because they will be significantly worse than West Ham next season, with Keys suggesting they will struggle to win 10 games. 

‘The debate has been interesting to follow. Bottom line is Lingard would’ve been better off at West Ham,’ he wrote.

‘Forest will struggle to win 10 games this season – which means they’ll be fighting for survival. Which means they will be called “struggling Forest”. Let’s talk again in May.’

Lingard’s move appears to have drawn a line in the sand between those who think it is a fine career choice for a player entering the later stages of his career and those who believe he should have joined a club with more ambition and perhaps not taken part in what some perceive to be an overly-ostentatious transfer reveal. 

Simon Jordan, a talkSPORT colleague of Agbonlahor, waded into the debate last week when he tweeted ‘this is what £200k a week buys you’ alongside a clown emoji, above an announcement from Lingard himself. 

‘Let’s hope that JLingz doesn’t Ming zz at Nottingham Forest… Time will tell! If £10m on a player with undoubted talent, but not a lot of return in the last three years, alongside a unhealthy obsession with TikTok, Is money well spent?’

Agbonlahor responded to Jordan by calling him a ‘bitter owner’, in reference to his failed spell as chief of his boyhood team Crystal Palace.