Ex-Premier League star Jermaine Beckford has revealed he was once racially abused by three generations of the same family while playing.
The 41-year-old opened up about the shocking issue where fans often hurled racist abuse at him from the stands.
During one match against Millwall at The Den, the ex-Leeds striker said he went over to grab the ball for a corner.
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When a family of home fans ranging from a grandad in their 60s to a child no older than 10 years old all started shouting slurs at Jermaine.
The moment that stuck with the 41-year-old throughout his career was the moment he realised it’s not personal.
“Kids aren’t born racist, kids don’t see colour,” Jermaine told Need To Know.
“That moment stuck with me because I realised there and then – they don’t hate me for me.
“It’s the lack of education and it’s ignorance not to want to learn and get to know people for who they are.
“I was able to say to myself, yes, they are hurling this abuse at me, but I also know it’s not personal.
“They had black players playing for their team as well; it’s not a direct attack. It’s their way of trying to put me off my game.”
As well as suffering mentally during his career, playing for the likes of Everton and Leicester, the striker also struggled with his diet.
Despite having access to private chefs and following a football-approved meal plan, the star began suffering from crippling stomach issues.
This led Jermaine down the path of learning about gut health and what we are really putting into our bodies when taking things such as protein powder.
Using his own personal experience from football, the striker from Ealing, west London, co-founded the brand Supernova Living.
The wellness brand uses products made up of the purest, most sustainable and most effective plants across the globe to help ‘heal’ our bodies.
Jermaine explained: “I was playing professional football, and we had access to private chefs to give us the best food to fuel us on a pitch.
“I was still getting these crippling stomach issues, and I was feeling really drained and lethargic.
“I was confused by the number of ingredients in the protein powder I was being given.
“I started researching each ingredient and started seeing the same ones being used in paint stripper, tarmac and even rat poison.
“I stopped taking it, and those crippling stomach issues went away.
“If we don’t fuel our bodies properly with high levels of nutrition, how can we expect them to thrive?
“This powder isn’t about getting five a day; it’s far beyond that.
“Supernova is an organic supplement, producing a powder without the usual chemicals found in most other supplements was imperative for us, as it’s so rare to find because it’s so expensive to make.
“But this blend was made for me initially when I was playing football; it had to be the best, there’s no compromise.”
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