Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has come under fire for describing the Ched Evans debate as "not an important issue".
Dyke was a guest on BBC's Newsnight to discuss corruption in FIFA but found himself unprepared as he then faced questions over the convicted rapist's prospective return to football.
Asked what his personal opinion on the matter was, the 67-year-old said: "It's not an important issue."
The FA chief sought to clarify his comments immediately and stated that the Evans saga was not a subject that he had been briefed about prior to going live.
"It is an important issue but not in terms of [why] we're here, and what you asked me to come on and talk about," he added.
"When you phoned me up and asked me to come on here tonight, you asked me to talk about [the World Cup report] and not to talk about Ched Evans."
Evans, 25, was sentenced to five years in prison for raping a 19-year-old woman in 2012, and has been training with former club Sheffield United recently following his release last month.
The Blades have been urged to cut all ties with the Welshman, with Olympian Jessica Ennis-Hill warning that she wants her name removed from a stand at Bramall Lane if they re-signed the striker.
