Jamie Vardy has insisted that Dele Alli's middle-finger salute during the latter stages of England's 2-1 win over Slovakia on Monday night was "harmless".
Alli was captured by television cameras using an abusive gesture during the 2018 World Cup qualifier at Wembley.
The 21-year-old has insisted that the gesture was aimed towards former Tottenham Hotspur teammate Kyle Walker rather than referee Clement Turpin, but the midfielder could still face punishment from FIFA.
Vardy, however, has branded Alli's conduct "harmless banter", with the Leicester City striker claiming that the incident "has been blown away out of proportion".
"The middle finger? Come on, it's harmless. It's just something that has been blown out of proportion. He was doing it to Walks," Vardy told reporters at the premiere of his The Next Jamie Vardy documentary film in London.
'It's just harmless banter and has been blown way out of proportion. They're always having a laugh and a giggle. That's just how they are. They were teammates for a few years. They're going to like to mess around, especially now that Walks has moved on himself.
"It would definitely be harsh [if FIFA acted]. If he is getting reprimanded for that, then we might as well take emotion and enjoyment out of the game. Everyone has got to have a bit of banter, otherwise I don't think you would get through the day of being a footballer."
Goals from Eric Dier and Marcus Rashford saw England beat Slovakia in the capital.
Matt Law
