Gareth Southgate has voiced his concerns for his players’ mental health well-being as abuse on social media continues to make headlines. For the past year, players have been taking the knee before matches in protest against racist abuse, however, some England fans have booed the action in the Three Lions’ Euro 2020 warm-up fixtures against Austria and Romania. Southgate has confirmed his squad will keep taking the knee despite the response of some fans, with his players doing so to support their peers and team-mates that have been subjected to racist abuse. And the England boss has voiced his concern at the abuse his players can be subjected to on social media, but believes steps are being made in the right direction.
Gareth Southgate said: “I see players scrolling on their phones straight after the final whistle and I think … Hmmm, is that a particularly good idea? Reading abusive comments on Twitter or Instagram is never going to help performance. There are genuine risks for our players online and I will always want to protect them, but I would never put rules on how or when they use their accounts while on England duty. I trust them and know they are mature enough to make their own decisions, to do what’s right for their mental health and to keep being a force for good as we strive for a better society. The last 18 months have put added pressure on everyone, I know. Venting that might have taken place while walking out of the stadium, or in the pub has been transferred online. I get that. However, there are things I will never understand. Why would you tag someone in on a conversation that is abusive? Why would you choose to insult somebody for something as ridiculous as the colour of their skin? Why?” Unfortunately for those people that engage in that kind of behaviour, I have some bad news. You’re on the losing side. It’s clear to me that we are heading for a much more tolerant and understanding society, and I know our lads will be a big part of that. It might not feel like it at times, but it’s true. The awareness around inequality and the discussions on race have gone to a different level in the last 12 months alone. I am confident that young kids of today will grow up baffled by old attitudes and ways of thinking. For many of that younger generation, your notion of Englishness is quite different from my own. I understand that, too. I understand that on this island, we have a desire to protect our values and traditions — as we should — but that shouldn’t come at the expense of introspection and progress.”
