England manager Gareth Southgate said on Wednesday he will seek input from his senior players over whether the Three Lions continue to take the knee before matches. The gesture has been made before every Premier League match since the English top-flight resumed from a coronavirus shutdown in June as a sign of protest against racial injustice. However, racial abuse of players, including many England internationals, has continued on social media. Southgate said he has asked his senior players, who form a leadership group, to discuss the matter with the rest of the squad ahead of England's first 2022 World Cup qualifier against Qatar on Thursday. Thursday's match will be Southgate's 50th as England boss, during which time high-profile incidents of racial abuse have been a regular occurrence.

Source: News 24 March 24, 2021 20:37 UTC