‘I’m not proud of it,’ Anton Ferdinand says before he closes his eyes and scrunches up his face. I was no longer known as Anton Ferdinand, the footballer or even Anton Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand’s brother – I would have taken that again. ‘I was known as Anton Ferdinand, the boy who was racially abused by John Terry or Anton Ferdinand, the liar who accused John Terry of racially abusing him and the person who got a captain of England to retire. ‘Anton Ferdinand the footballer wishes it never happened. I get and understand it but we need to make sure people understand: Anton Ferdinand the footballer needs to be macho but Anton Ferdinand the father doesn’t need to bring that home.

Source: Metro May 12, 2021 11:01 UTC