Former footballer Joey Barton has sparked controversy on social media after making comments about the casting of Stephen Graham’s new television programme. Barton took to Twitter to question whether Graham had made the right choice in selecting a young actor, suggesting that the portrayal of knife crime in the UK was inaccurately cast.

Barton tweeted: "Stephen Graham's programme is getting loads of praise but it seems for knife crime in the UK he got the young actor wrong. Was he too afraid to cast it correctly?" The comment quickly drew backlash from users who reminded him of his own family's history with violent crime. Many highlighted the brutal 2005 racist murder of Anthony Walker, a Black British student of Jamaican descent, at the hands of Barton's brother, Michael Barton, and his cousin, Paul Taylor.

Walker, an 18-year-old student, was ambushed in Huyton, Merseyside, by Michael Barton and Paul Taylor, who subjected him to a violent racist attack. The pair chased Walker and his cousin, Marcus Binns, through a park before Taylor drove an ice axe into Walker’s head. The murder was widely condemned and led to life sentences for both Barton and Taylor, with the judge branding the killing a "racist and barbaric" act.

Following Barton's tweet, social media users were quick to respond, reminding him of his brother’s role in Walker’s murder. One user wrote: "Anthony Walker was a Black British student of Jamaican descent who was murdered with an ice axe by Michael Barton, brother of Joey Barton, in an unprovoked racist attack. Joey Barton needs to close his beak and sit this one out…"

Some users also pointed out that Barton had misunderstood the premise of the programme, which was not solely focused on knife crime but rather on wider issues affecting young men, including misogyny. One social media user wrote: "My understanding is it wasn't even about knife crime but the incel 'Andrew Tate' style grooming young boys are being exposed to with their attitudes towards females and the high rate of killings of women by men, nothing to do with colour."

Barton has yet to respond to the criticism.