Michael Gove appeared to liken the North of England to a "defence full of holes" as he made a football analogy to outline the UK's economic woes - after a damning report revealed a huge divide.
The Levelling Up Secretary claimed that "not even Lionel Messi " could plug the north-south gap as he admitted London is the "star striker" during a speech in Manchester.
He conceded that for decades the North has lagged behind the capital, with wealth, influence, high-wage jobs and high quality schools disproportionately concentrated in the south east.
Addressing politicians and business leaders at the Convention of the North today, he said: "We all know that we cannot prosper fully as a state if we rely so much on one region and within that region on one city.
"The UK economy has been like a football team with a star striker but a midfield that consistently struggles to get the ball upfield and a defence full of holes.
"No forward, not even Lionel Messi, can do it on his own.
"Success depends on strength and depth, that's what the UK has lacked for too long."
It comes after a report by IPPR North found that the North of England receives one of the lowest levels of investment among developed economies.
Researchers ruled that if the region was a country, only Greece would see less public and private investment of 38 members in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OEDC).
It found that productivity is around £7 lower per hour worked in North than the rest of England, while hourly pay is £1.60 lower.
Report author and IPPR North research fellow Marcus Johns said: "Of all the advanced economies around the world, ours is the most regionally divided and getting worse - the North is at the sharp end of these divides and that's a barrier to prosperity.
"But what's even more unacceptable is that our country is divided by design. It is the result of decisions.
"The North's strengths are national strengths. Northern prosperity can be national prosperity. It's up to the Government to unlock this potential, by acknowledging that it has to change, and by enabling empowered, well-resourced local government to coordinate and deliver long term local visions for change."
Mr Gove said that the government is "committed" to tackling inequality, which he said had been in place for decades.
He defended the much-maligned levelling up system, which last week saw £2.1 billion split between more than 100 projects around the UK - confirming that a third round would be held following the March budget.
The government came under fire after analysis revealed many of the country's most deprived areas missed out on funding.
Councils complained they spent thousands of pounds putting bids together, only for them to be turned down.
The cabinet member vowed to give more power to local leaders on issues such as improving social housing - with a £30 million pot awarded to Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.
"I know the allocation of levelling up funding attracted plentiful comment across the country," he said.
"The more people are talking about levelling up, the happier I am."
He defended the "competitive process", but admitted that officials will be looking at ways to improve the bidding process next time around."
He said that the north had benefitted most of all from efforts to redistribute power across the UK - with the Treasury boasting a new campus in Darlington, with his department having a second HQ in Wolverhampton.
"So far 20,000 posts have been relocated out of London to the north," he said.
