Gary Lineker accuses Premier League of 'disregarding England's best interests'

Former England captain Gary Lineker has hit out at the Premier League for organising fixtures affecting England's preparation for their World Cup qualifiers in September.

The 2013-14 fixtures contain clashes between Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur the weekend before England take on Moldova and Ukraine.

Lineker wrote on Twitter: "Never help ourselves!"

He later replied to users suggesting that they do not care about the national team by writing: "I guess this justifies the Premier League's disregard for the best interests of England."

Reports emerged this morning claiming that Premier League officials ignored requests from the Football Association to avoid placing high-profile matches over that weekend.