Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been speaking courageously about his experiences of racism. Read on for Layth Yousif’s report from London Colney.
Arsenal starlet Maitland-Niles has been sharing his experiences of being racially abused as a youngster.
Maitland-Niles faced the media on Wednesday afternoon at London Colney ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Qarabag in the Europa League on Thursday evening at the Emirates.
The 21-year-old – who has been associated with the club since he was six years old – bravely revealed he has faced the same racism Raheem Sterling suffered at the weekend during Manchester City’s defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The England U21 star said: “It is disgusting. It happened to me before in youth football, similar to what happened with Raheem.
“I went out to take a throw in and there was racial abuse behind me.
“I was at Arsenal at the time, It was an away trip to Germany. I spoke to my dad and he gave me the heads up.”
Sterling has received support from many areas inside and outside the game following the incident after sharing his thoughts on his Instagram account, with Maitland-Niles believing the game and society could be reaching a tipping point in turning attitudes against racism.
Maitland-Niles said he was around 12 at the time of the incident, adding: “It is one way of them knocking me off my game and making me feel uncomfortable.
“I really credit Raheem for coming out and speaking about it.
“It hurts to talk about it but it is so important to get rid of it from the game.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here