Former England footballer Emile Heskey joins host Simon Mundie on the Don’t Tell Me The Score podcast, which will is now available to listen to on BBC Sounds.
In his interview he talks about his experiences of racism both on and off the pitch, the impact it has had on him, and the need for people to have open and vulnerable conversations.
Speaking about feeling like he has to act differently when he’s in a lift with other people Emile says: “You don’t know what it feels like or what it’s like to be judged every time you walk down the road. I do.
“I was speaking to someone about it today, it’s quite draining that you know that when you walk into a lift you’ve got to be a certain way to put everyone else at ease in that lift. Especially being someone who is over six foot and looks very big…the best thing is sitting down with people and asking them their thoughts, asking them what they went through, how did it make them feel and why do you think people are doing this…a lot of people have never asked the question….we had the Slovakia game and we were racially abused over there and I can’t remember anyone actually asking me how I felt after the game.”
Emile recalls that he had a whole stadium making monkey chants and apart from the FA coming to him afterwards wanting a statement, as team-mates, he says he can’t remember anyone asking him how he felt.
Heskey also discusses his recent experiences and the idea of feeling shame when he was younger. He told of the time he was at an airport in France and went to buy a coffee, then sat down in the bar. Placing his bag next to him, he says that he noticed a woman nearby pull her bag towards herself and then the whole family moved to sit on the other side of the bar.
“Now I know what that is all about,” Emile said and added, “But I know other people might say you’re thinking too much into it…I can’t do anything because again it feeds into another stereotype that I’m always angry.
“It’s a bit of a lose lose for us, we’ve just got to make sure you focus on yourself and they are the ignorant one, not me…when you’re younger… you feel them, shame and guilt. Shame is the one you feel the biggest when you’re younger, like you’ve got something wrong with you.”
On race issues, Heskey thinks it’s important to have open discussions about it, he says: “When everyone says I’m not racist I’ve got black friends – well sit down with them. Sit down with them and have a little conversation with them and let them tell you what it’s all about and what it’s all like…because again you are seeing it from your perspective, not from anyone else’s.
“I look at things from my perspective …I’m totally different to the people who I actually grew up with and I hear some of the stories that they are going through, I don’t go through them same stories, I don’t go through them same problems because when I step out I’m Emile Heskey.
“A majority of people understand who I am, some who don’t, might look at me the same way. I’m still to some people, just this black guy and I will always be that black guy.”
You can hear the full interview with Emile Heskey talking to Simon Mundie in Don’t Tell Me The Score, the podcast available to listen to weekly on BBC Sounds.
Each week DTMTS uses sport to answer life’s big questions. Previous guests include Tony Adams discussing addiction, former England psychologist Pippa Grange talking about facing fear and Caitlyn Jenner on embracing honesty.
