Ian Wright has claimed that if he were still playing professionally, he would continue to take the knee in protest against racism, although the England women’s team has opted to quit the practice.
His comments were made after the Lionesses decided to stop kneeling before matches, a decision influenced by defender Jess Carter receiving racial abuse online following England’s quarter-final victory over Sweden in Euro 2025.
The Arsenal icon made his opinion known when working as a commentator for ITV ahead of England’s semi-final against Italy on Tuesday evening.
Wright stressed that, while the women’s squad had elected to stand rather than kneel, he would continue to do so since it represented justice and equality.
“Firstly, I think the decision to take the knee should have been a personal thing, if you want to take it,” according to the 61-year-old.
“I believe it was always imposed on people; if I were playing now, for all the knee signifies, for fairness and equality, and for everything else that comes with it, I believe I would continue to take the knee.
“But, in terms of Jess, the key is that she is okay and has support, but for me, I have spoken all I can over the years about racism, what it means, and what it does, and nothing has improved.
🗣️ “Nothing gets any better. Prepare your children, make them resilient towards it.”@IanWright0 and Karen Carney discuss the abhorrent online abuse targeted at Jess Carter. pic.twitter.com/IGZzpISIGK
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 22, 2025
“What I would advise today is to prepare your children, your family, and make them robust because it will continue to happen.
“People think it is bad, but it is not; they are winning, have been winning, and will continue to win; I would encourage people to create resilience against it.
“We can’t stop it, it is always going to happen.”
The Lionesses declared on Sunday that they will remain standing before their semi-final match, marking their first break from the kneeling gesture this year.
The club issued a statement proclaiming, “It’s clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism.”
Their decision came after Carter stated that she had endured significant online harassment during the Sweden match, causing her to withdraw from social media networks.
The defender, who played 70 minutes in the quarter-final triumph, was then moved to the substitutes’ bench for Tuesday night’s match against Italy.
The squad’s statement expressed sympathy with Carter and any players who have faced racial prejudice, condemning the comments as “vile” and demanding responsibility.
England manager Sarina Wiegman acknowledged the challenge of addressing such incidents, describing the abuse as “ridiculous and disgusting.”
She acknowledged that, while Carter remained a determined individual willing to go forward, the team felt forced to address the problem publicly.
“It’s truly disheartening that this issue must consume us,” Wiegman expressed to the audience. Of course, she’s not the only one experiencing this abuse or racism.
Midfielder Georgia Stanway believed that the event had enhanced team relationships, saying, “If anything, it has probably brought us closer together as a team.”
She acknowledged the complexities of removing racism from society and football, saying, “We don’t know what steps to take to make that happen, but for now, all we can do is show our support.”