Players Views

Ryan Giggs

Wales

Did you experience any racism when you were growing up?
Yes. A lot of people don't know that my father is black. He was a professional rugby player in the area that I played. So a lot of people who I went to school with knew who he was and knew that he was black. So I would get racist taunts in school. It wasn't that bad in our school but there was a little bit.

What advice would you give to someone going through similar things?
I think the main thing is not to hide it or to let it build up and up. As soon as you experience it, don't be scared to speak to someone. Because it is scary if you are getting bullied or the person that is bullying you finds out that you told on them. But you need to address it straight away.

What do you think about the racism some black Premiership players have been experiencing in Europe recently?
I've read about Thierry Henry and the abuse Marcus Bent and others have been getting. It is something that shouldn't be happening in football because we've moved on so much. It is hard because, especially in Europe, racism is always going to be there. Because in some leagues they don't have many black players and they don't see black players as often as we do in the Premiership. So black players become the target of abuse.

What solutions do you think would work?
I think that the club, whoevers supporters it is who is shouting the racism, I think that you've got to ban them straight away. But I think that it is very hard to do that and also very hard to pick out individuals. It's up to Uefa or Fifa to make sure that the clubs do that. But clubs themselves have got to act.

Do you think it is likely is it that the football authorities will do something concrete?
Yes. Because sometimes it goes quiet but it is always there. It takes someone like Thierry Henry to speak up for people to listen. And maybe less well known players wouldn't want to speak up because they just think that the authorities are not going to do anything anyway. But something has got to happen because it can't go on.

Trivia

Team supported as a child: Manchester United

Teammate most admired: David Beckham for the way he handled himself after being sent off in the 1998 World Cup

Superstitions: Occasionally running out last onto the pitch

Car: Mercedes S500