Nike's new multicoloured St George's Cross flag has been met with anger, with critics including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
The sports brand called the modified cross for England's new £125 European Champions kit a "playful update" but it has been accused of wokery and told to leave the English flag alone.
The English flag comprises a red cross of St George but Nike's redesigned version is made up of red, purple and blue horizontal stripes.
Sir Keir told The Sun's YouTube Channel that the change to the design was "wrong".
"I'm a big football fan, I go to England games, men and women's games, and the flag is used by everybody. It is a unifier. It doesn't need to be changed. We just need to be proud of it.
"So, I think they should just reconsider this and change it back. I'm not even sure they can properly explain why they thought they needed to change it in the first place."
Former England goalkeeper David Seaman told the Daily Mail, "It doesn't need fixing. What's next, are they going to change the Three Lions to three cats? Leave it alone.
On the suggestion of the shirt being boycotted, he said: "I had that situation when I saw my red kit that I wore for Euro 96. I was like, have I got to wear that?
"But it's different. It's the St George's Flag. Leave it alone. I'm sure that if they'd approached the lads and asked them about it, they would have said no. Just leave it alone."
A petition launched on Change.org has been signed over 17,000 times.
Former FA managing director Adrian Bevington, told talkSPORT that the cross should not have been changed.
"I think it's an emotive subject and it was always going to cause the conjecture that we've got," he said.
"I always try and see it from all sides, and I understand from Nike's perspective they're looking to push all the time and be cutting edge and as modern as they can be to the different markets they serve.
"But... it's our flag. When the games take place, particularly during the tournament, you'll see the stadium absolutely swamped with the cross of St George hanging everywhere.
"It's a national identity and I just don't really think it needs to be changed. And it's going to upset a lot of people because people do feel passionate about this."
