Emile Heskey: Raheem Sterling and younger generation breaking down barriers for black players
Former England and Liverpool striker Heskey believes there is a glass ceiling for black players which young players are challenging
Sunday 14 June 2020 11:42, UK
Emile Heskey says the current generation of young players, like Raheem Sterling, are breaking down barriers that currently exist for black footballers.
George Floyd's death through police brutality in America has seen a number of Black Lives Matter protests across the globe, with institutional racism in football also once again on the agenda due to the movement.
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Former Liverpool striker Heskey, who won 62 caps for England across an 11-year period, feels there is a glass ceiling in the game once a black player retires which the likes of Manchester City and England forward Sterling are not prepared to accept any longer.
"The younger generation are not letting up," Heskey told the Mail on Sunday. "They are going to keep going at it and keep breaking down barriers.
"It will see change because people are demanding it. The new generation is saying 'can we afford to lose another 20 years and not move forward?'
"Raheem wants to get to 38 and know that he has an opportunity if he wants to take it. We got to 38 and were told 'go and do your badges'. For what?
"You are talking about equality and there's currently a glass ceiling for black players. That is where clubs need to say this is what we are putting in place, this is what we can do.
"We have got to drive change and that starts from within.
"You can go up and down any boardroom and look. It is very hard to see many black people in any of them. It is about control. We don't have anyone in there so we cannot affect that. You can't challenge that if there is no one in there."
Sterling has backed the recent Black Lives Matter protests and vowed to continue to speak out in the hope it will contribute to lasting change.
He has previously challenged the British media's perception of black players and taken a lead in calling out racism in both the domestic and international game.
Last year he counselled fellow professionals against walking off the pitch in the event of racial abuse, and has also called for the establishment of a player-led anti-racism task-force.
