Theresa May asked by German journalist why she made Boris Johnson Foreign Secretary

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Theresa May has been asked by a German journalist on why she appointed Boris Johnson ar Foreign Secretary when "he doesn't want to play".

The question came during a joint conference with Ms May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

The British Prime Minister was asked: "Why are you putting - to put it in football terms - a player on the pitch who doesn't actually want to play?“

In response, Ms May smiled before saying: “Can I first say that I think it would be dangerous for a British Prime Minister to talk about football in Germany.

"This is not something on which we have perhaps quite as good a record as the Germans do."

She proceeded to say: "We want to build on the positive partnership that the UK has with Germany.

“Those positive relations will underpin everything that I do as Prime Minister and everything my ministers do across the whole UK Government.”

The Prime Minister tried to move swiftly on, inviting another question from the floor, before being interrupted by Ms Merkel who said she also wanted to give an answer.

Ms Merkel said: “The first meeting of foreign ministers has already occurred among the 28 [EU members].

“I take it that the British Foreign Secretary in good co-operation with all of the other 27 foreign ministers will work on these issues."

The joint conference took place during the first meeting between the new Prime Minister and Ms Merkel.

During the conference the two women stressed the ties between the UK and Germany will remain strong despite the UK leaving the EU.

Ms Merkel said despite the Brexit vote Britain and Germany the two countries "are connected through very close ties of friendship and partnership".

“I have appointed a team of ministers who will take forward the position of the British Government. We are very clear that as a British Government we will be looking to build good relations with all European member states...