Former Newcastle United striker Shola Ameobi has lauded Raheem Sterling for raising his voice on racism.
The England forward was subjected to what has been reported as racist chants from Chelsea fans during the Manchester City defeat at Samford Bridge. The FA, London Metropolitan Police and Chelsea are investigating the matter.
“It’s not something you like to see but the way Raheem has gone about it – the fact he’s dealing with the situation – it’s a wider thing we are talking about in terms of inclusion. We want everyone to feel like they are welcome, regardless of the colour of their skin, their ethnicity, or what they believe.
“It was a fantastic game but this has overshadowed it and that’s what we don’t want. We want people to come in and be accepted for who they are. It’s an important issue that we have to talk about and it’s a good thing that Raheem is using what’s happened, even though it’s a sad issue, to raise a bigger thing.” Ameobi told Sky Sports.
Ameobi feels the achievements that have been made in trying to eradicate the vice are notable but warned the fight should increase its momentum given the recent development.
“We have done so much in this country, let’s not let things like this detract from how much has gone on in football and sport in this country,” he added.
“It can affect you personally and I know it affected a couple of my teammates at the time. These guys are under so much pressure already, we don’t want them to feel like they can’t come into a stadium, game or anywhere and feel like they can’t be themselves. It’s really important that when things like this happen it shows we still have a long way to go,” Ameobi added.
