I know little about football, and less about Steve McClaren, but when I heard about this cringe-inducing interview I made an immediate dash for YouTube.

Background: Steve (ex-English football manager) is interviewed by a Dutch TV channel, within weeks of becoming the manager for a Dutch football team, and in an effort to fit in, decides putting on an appalling Dutch accent is a good idea.

I’m sure there’s a lot to be said about this clip, but what strikes me most is the xenophobia angle. How can anyone be so clueless and ill-at-ease with the very idea of foreignness?