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.
