Glenn Hoddle apologises for Chinese jibe

Glenn Hoddle has apologised for an inappropriate joke he made live on-air during last night's Sky Sports coverage of Chelsea's Premier League match against Fulham.

During the scoreless draw, Hoddle likened Chelsea's new £50 million striker Fernando Torres to an imaginary Chinese player named "Knee Shin Toe".

After Torres miscontrolled a ball lobbed over Fulham's defence, Hoddle remarked: "When it's not going for you, it's not going for you. It's come off his chest, his knee and his toe. It's almost like the Chinese player Knee Shin Toe."

In a statement today, Hoddle said: "I can only apologise to those who took offence. There's no excuse. It's an old football expression and I understand I can't say things like that."

The incident is another embarrassment for Sky Sports, after the broadcaster recently parted company with Richard Keys and Andy Gray following their off-air comments about women in football.

Hoddle was infamously dismissed as England manager in 1999 for disparaging comments he made about disabled people in a newspaper interview.