Considering the racial discrimination in his home country, DeAndre Yedlin has revealed his contemplation of quitting the United States national team.
The 26-year-old Newcastle defender, who has African-American, Native-American, and Jewish-Latvian heritage, has condemned the prejudice against black people in the wake of the protests following George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minnesota police officers.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Yedlin expressed his thoughts about leaving the US national team: “It’s something I’ve thought a lot about during this quarantine.
“My family, especially my grandmother, are activists and have always encouraged me to stand up for my beliefs.
“There’s no amount of money that can make me stay silent about something I think is wrong.
“It’s a waiting game to see if change happens, but if things remain as they are, it’s difficult for me as an African American male to represent a country where all people aren’t equal.”
Yedlin believes that the Premier League’s decision to replace all players’ names with ‘Black Lives Matter’ will send a powerful message from “the world’s sport”.
“Seeing it on players’ jerseys will prompt kids to ask questions,” he says.