Former Blackpool star Trevor Sinclair apologises for labelling Liverpool 'bin dippers' after Man City's win against Burnley

The 46-year-old made the comments last night after Manchester City, the team he supports, beat Burnley 4-1 at Turf Moor.

That saw City cut the gap to Liverpool at the top of the Premier League to eight points.

Sinclair tweeted: "Bin dippers we're coming for you."

He was immediately hit with a barrage of replies criticising the post, only to add: "So sensitive. Calm down you're still eight points ahead."

'Bin dippers' is considered a derogatory term that trivialises poverty.

After deleting the tweet, Sinclair then issued an apology this morning, writing: "To any fan that was offended by what I wrote last night I apologise. It was a throw away line regarding closing the gap.

"It wasn’t my intention to offend anyone, especially from a social stance. I’m a working class lad and understand how it’s been taken. Sorry."

Sinclair, who has only recently returned to the limelight, has faced calls to be axed from talkSPORT, the national radio station where he has made frequent appearances in recent months.

He was dropped as a BBC pundit last year after being found guilty of racially abusing a police officer who had arrested him for drink driving.

Sinclair, who scored 15 goals in 112 appearances for the Seasiders from 1989 to 1993, called a police officer a "white c***", asked if the only reason he was being arrested was because he was black before urinating in a police car.

He was sentenced to 150 hours' community service and given a 20-month ban for drink-driving.