Ferdinand speaks out after West Ham players walked off pitch over racist slur

03 June 2023 , 11:04

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Anton Ferdinand has spoken about the racial abuse the West Ham players faced in USA (Image: Getty Images)

Anton Ferdinand has admitted that more needs to be done to tackle racism after Frank Nouble was subject to vile abuse at the The Soccer Tournament.

The West Ham team walked off the pitch after a Dallas United player allegedly used the N-word towards Nouble, who confronted the opponent. It was a collective decision from the Hammers squad as they decided to take action and no longer play against the American outfit.

Dallas United subsequently withdrew from the tournament and Ferdinand, who was part of the side, has since hailed the authorities for how they have dealt with such a matter. He admitted that this should be a learning curve for other competitions and how to deal with racism and issues that lead to it.

"I didn’t expect anything less from West Ham as a Club," Ferdinand told the club's website. "The topic of conversation that was laid bare yesterday was bigger than football. The way that TST dealt with it, so swiftly and with no nonsense action, a lot of people and organisations around the world can take note.

"Again, West Ham United, the support they’ve given us as a team and as a squad, not just to us but to the staff here with us, has been second to none.

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"The team as a whole, the squad as a whole and the Club as a whole have used their voice in the best way and that’s why I’m proud, with my chest out and with this badge on me because we dealt with it in the right way, along with TST.

"We have to remember this isn’t just a football issue, this is a societal issue that needs addressing and if more people address it the way TST addressed it, the world would be a better place.

"We won’t stop fighting. The message is it’s not just ethnic minority peoples’ fight, it’s everybody’s fight. You need to speak about it the same way I speak about it, the same way my teammates speak about it.

"I think everybody needs to come together and fight as a collective. It’s hard, but football can be the catalyst for change in society, but society has to want to change with it."

The event, which is taking place in North Carolina, involves 32 teams and will see the winning team take home $1m (£798,000) in prize money. The likes of Borussia Dortmund, Wrexham and fellow Premier League outfit Wolves all entered teams.

Kieran King