Reo-Coker says conversations on race within football will now be more than just "lip service"; Darren Bent discusses unity with Sky Sports News, as Stoke's Tom Ince calls for FIFA and UEFA to do more
Saturday 6 June 2020 17:55, UK
The worldwide protests over the death of George Floyd will prove to be a catalyst for change in the fight against racism in society and sport, says Nigel Reo-Coker.
Reo-Coker, who lives in Florida, has witnessed several days of protests in the United States following the death of Floyd in Minnesota last week and believes there must now be positive action taken against racism.
Since the death of Floyd on May 25, demonstrations in England have also taken place and a number of sportsmen and women have shown their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The former West Ham and Aston Villa player told Sky Sports News: "This is really going to be a turning point and it will be more than just lip service.
"We've had a few similar incidents about racism and equality that have happened previously and I kind of felt it's been lip service.
"You're seeing now that there's been protesting in pretty much all the states in America. There's been protesting around the world. I think this video (George Floyd) has really been the eye-opener for people, because it was so graphic.
"You don't want it to be just 'oh, let's put up a Black Lives Matter Instagram post' or something along those lines. I think playing in football like Darren (Bent) and I did in dressing rooms and you being in mixed dressing rooms, you'd want some of your white players to actually talk more to their black players and understand the experiences and try to understand where they're coming from and what it's like.
"Don't talk for them but try to understand them and see what you could do better or what you could educate your younger kids to do better, to understand the struggles that young black men have to face."
Former Tottenham and Aston Villa striker Darren Bent believes Floyd's death and the protests that followed have had a positive impact by bringing people from different backgrounds together in the fight against racism.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, he said: "For the first time in a long, long time, I feel like people are actually coming together, not only white people... Asian people, and people from all different races.
"You look at some of the mainstream sponsors, people like Nike, Adidas, Netflix, all the different companies, they're all now understanding that this is wrong and that we all need to come together."
Stoke City's Tom Ince has called on football's governing bodies to do more in the fight against racism in light of Floyd's death.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News, the midfielder said: "UEFA and FIFA can really do a lot more to affect change and stamp it out but they never seem to want to go the full way.
"There's too many times, even in our country where we are supposed to be more socially aware, that racism has occurred and maybe it will take a player to walk off.
"We've seen it a few times in the French league and I think it will happen in England soon - players are getting to the point where they won't stand for it anymore.
"Racism has nothing to do with football and it's something that really needs to be looked at moving forward because football is about football, not whether a player is black or white."
