Former Premier League manager Sean Dyche has taken to social media to deny claims that he has become a member of the right-wing political party Reform UK. The 54-year-old coach, who was most recently in charge of Nottingham Forest, dismissed an AI-generated image and fabricated quote circulating online as pure misinformation.
In an Instagram story, Dyche wrote: "Warning to people following…There is an A.I. image going about saying I have joined Reform. NOT TRUE. End of." The viral post included a fake quote attributed to Dyche: "I’ve always believed in hard work, honesty and putting Britain first. That’s why I’m backing Reform UK."
Dyche, who previously managed Burnley and Everton, was appointed by Nottingham Forest in October but was dismissed four months later. During his tenure, he won six of his 18 league games as the club battled relegation, and also led the team to the Europa League semi-finals with four victories in six matches.
This is not the first time Dyche has been the subject of misattributed quotes. He has also become associated with 'utter woke nonsense' memes, despite never using the phrase. In an interview with FourFourTwo last year, Dyche said: "I get asked about this all the time. I wish I’d copyrighted it. Considering I didn’t actually say it, it does follow me around."
On the pitch, Dyche's successor at Nottingham Forest, Vitor Pereira, has improved the club's form, winning four and drawing four of his 10 league games. Forest secured Premier League safety after West Ham United's defeat to Arsenal, and currently sit seven points above the relegation zone with two games remaining.
