I lost my career when I went to prison but now work with young players. They listen to me because they can relate to me
Close your eyes and picture growing up in poverty with a lack of opportunities. Even with your eyes open, it’s difficult to understand if you’ve never witnessed it or gone through this yourself.
Growing up in south London, I always wanted to be a footballer. But maybe that was because besides a career in music, that was the only measure of wealth and success in our community – you never saw black people on television otherwise. A lack of male role models at home and in wider society able to provide guidance and teach you the fundamentals as a young boy or girl was and is an issue too.
Related: Black Lives Matter has exposed sport's underlying failure to deal with racism | Jonathan Liew
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