Sept 15 (Reuters) - Morocco international ⁠Ez Abde said on Tuesday he would not apologise for ⁠wearing a shirt supporting residents of the Spanish enclave of ‌Ceuta, after receiving criticism on social media following Real Betis' LaLiga match against Villarreal.

The 24-year-old winger was targeted by a wave of negative comments after wearing the shirt ​before Monday's game at Villarreal.

In recent weeks, there ⁠has been widespread support ⁠in Spain for the people of Ceuta following more than 70,000 irregular ⁠crossings ‌into the North African enclave from neighbouring Morocco in July.

Before kickoff at Estadio de la Ceramica, players from both teams ⁠wore shirts bearing the slogan "Todos somos caballas" ("We are all ​mackerels"). Caballas is ‌a nickname for people from Ceuta.

"At no point was the ⁠shirt referring to ​the people of Ceuta used with a political purpose or as a sign of disrespect toward my people, the Moroccan people," Abde wrote in a ⁠statement posted on social media.

"It was a ​shirt with a social purpose, intended to support a community.

"That said, this is not an apology to anyone, and anyone who wishes to use ⁠this to question my love for my country is free to do so. I will continue to live each day with my head held high."

LaLiga and Real Betis both posted messages of support for Abde ​after his statement.

Born in Beni Mellal, Morocco, ⁠Abde moved to Spain with his family at the age of seven. ​Eligible to represent both countries, he chose ‌Morocco and made his senior international debut ​in September 2022. He has since won 37 caps for the national team.

(Reporting by Ruairidh Barlow, editing by Pritha Sarkar)