Alexander-Arnold: Race comes into decisions at the top of football
Liverpool and England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold wants to see greater diversity in the upper echelons of football – stating race still appears to be a factor in boardroom decisions.
The Premier League has backed Black Lives Matter since its restart this week, with players taking a knee at the start of games and their shirts bearing the name of the movement.
Alexander-Arnold's England team-mate Raheem Sterling recently highlighted the lack of BAME representation across boardrooms and in major coaching positions during an interview with BBC's Newsnight, and the 21-year-old agrees systemic change is long overdue.
"Within the system, there's not enough equality. For that to change we need black people in the boardrooms," he told BT Sport in an interview with ex-Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand.
"We need equality from physios and kitmen, all the way up into the boardroom.
"We need everyone to have an opportunity. When you're looking at a transfer target, you don’t care what colour they are. You're looking based on what talent have they got.
"I feel as though whoever's making the decisions at the top – maybe on purpose or not – race does come into the thought process."
Alexander-Arnold feels a player like himself, with the platform to influence and make a difference, has a huge role to play in the fight against racism.
"Maybe I put pressure on myself because I know that's the right thing to do," he said.
"I've got a big platform, I know a lot of kids look up to me.
"It's not just about being a role model on the pitch. I want to be someone who feels as though I've made a change in the way that people think.
"If I get through my career and I haven't done that then I'd see that as a failure on my part."
