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Liveprool legend Robbie Fowler has hit back at what he deems a "slanderous statement" following a newspaper article surrounding Manchester United's Jesse Lingard.

Reds icon Fowler used his Sunday Mirror column to criticise United attacker Lingard last week after the England international filmed himself joking around on his Snapchat account while on holiday.

Lingard's repeatedly bizarre social media antics came under scrutiny by some given United's disastrous Premier League campaign under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - and Fowler pulled no punches in his most recent offering last week.

He wrote: "Jesse Lingard won’t miss an open goal because he put a classless video on his Instagram account.

"He won’t misplace a pass or fail to make a tackle after ­posting something stupid on Twitter or Facebook.

"But the Manchester United and England midfielder needs help and advice when it comes to organising his social media presence because the message he’s putting out at the ­moment is that he just doesn’t care."

On Tuesday, football journalist Sam Cunningham wrote a piece in defence of Lingard, tweeting that Fowler "repeatedly went out drinking before matches".

It was a claim the ex- Liverpool striker, who earned the nickname 'God' on Kop during his two spells at Anfield, took offence to on Tuesday afternoon.

iFootball correspondent Cunningham tweeted: "Robbie Fowler says the message Jesse Lingard is putting out there is that he doesn't care...

"This is Robbie Fowler who repeatedly went out drinking before matches. This week's iPaperSport column on the ridiculous reaction to that Snapchat video:".

Fowler, who scored 183 goals in 369 Liverpool games, responded tersely, asking if there was any proof of his alleged pre-match binges.

He tweeted: "Hi Sam... have you proof of me repeatedly going out before matches?

"Didn't think so, by repeatedly BEFORE you mean after matches.. right? In fact that's quite a slanderous statement you've made".

Fowler was then told "there are several news stories in newspaper cuttings of you going out in the build-up to matches" to which he offered a firm denial.

"Must be true if you've said it's in the paper..I can emphatically tell you I Absolutely never went out minimum 2 days before a before games... you gonna stick with that tweet?"

(Image: Michael Steele/ALLSPORT)

Fowler was one of the most gifted English strikers of his generation and was part of the Gerard Houllier squad that won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup in 2001.

Back in April he was appointed head coach of Australian A-League side Brisbane Roar on a two-year deal, a role he will take up this summer.