'Britain should be proud of Gary': Refugee who lived with Lineker hails ... trends now
A refugee taken in by Gary Lineker has praised the Match of the Day star for 'defending humanity' amid a BBC row over a tweet he sent about the migrant crisis.
Rasheed Baluch lived with the football pundit for weeks back in 2020, when he was given free bed and board at Lineker's £4million home in Surrey.
The 35-year-old dubbed him a 'caring and loving defender of humanity' who 'should be a point of pride for the British public' as he returned to our TV screens having been reinstated by the BBC.
He was taken off the air over a tweet comparing the language used to launch a new Government asylum seeker policy with 1930s Germany.
'Gary has come forward to defend humanity,' Law student Rasheed told The Mirror. 'It should be a point of pride for the British public.
'He has been given the right of freedom, right of thought and expression. So if the institutions react so negatively against the statement of Gary, it is undemocratic and unfair.'
The refugee who stayed with Gary Lineker in 2020 dubbed him a 'caring and loving defender of humanity' who 'should be a point of pride for the British public' as he returned to our TV screens having been reinstated by the BBC
Rasheed was taken in after he fled the Pakistan province of Balochistan, fearing for his safety. He said Lineker helped with his travel costs, and showed an interest in his background and story.
'He is friendly and open-minded. He loved to listen to me when I shared my story about the situation in my country and the plight of my people,' he said.
'Although Gary is a star, he leads a simple life. He is never proud of his status. He is a very sympathetic, caring and human loving man.'
In 2020, Lineker, 62, shared a letter that Rasheed had penned to him and his family, in which he wrote: 'During my stay in your beautiful home, I never felt that I am a stranger or a guest, but it seemed to me as if I am a member of your family.
'I will never forget your hospitality, love and company that you and your lovely, respectful children gave to me.'
Lineker, who has four sons - George, Harry, Angus and Tobais - shared the letter with his followers, writing: 'Thanks Rasheed for giving such a different perspective on life to both myself and my boys'.
He also thanked Refugees at Home (RaH) for arranging the placement, adding: 'It was a hugely positive experience and I will
