Reece James opens up on receiving racist abuse after troll who harassed him faces arrest

Reece James opens up on receiving racist abuse after a troll who harassed him faces an imminent arrest according to reports.

The abuser has been tracked down to the Middle East just three weeks before the World Cup gets underway in Qatar.

An arrest is to be made after the Premier League defender, 22, gave statements to Instagram, police and officials abroad. However it’s not always as easy as this for other footballers abused on social media.

Reece James opens up on racist abuse after troll who harassed Chelsea star faces arrest https://t.co/ePZT3HMRKP pic.twitter.com/SEnuFlzac8

— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) October 30, 2022

Reece told The Sun: “It’s tough.”

But he is determined to fight back against the online criticism saying: “Whenever I see it I report it.”

“I get (racist) messages here and there, but I’ve never really had it face to face.

“It’s always the way (that trolls hide behind the keyboard); whenever I see it I report it.

“It’s one of those things that is hard to control. Most of the time they are fake accounts.”

He reported a numbers of racist abuse from a mysterious account.

Starting in February of last year, Reece gave statements to Instagram, the Met Police and officials abroad — and now the culprit is finally on the verge of being taken into police custody.

Reece admitted: “It’s tough, when you have to take so much time on interviews and statements, and then it doesn’t lead to anything.

“I had this one last season, monkey emojis and stuff.

“Before I didn’t really open my messages, but one day I managed to see it, and reported it.”

After posting a photo of him training, a man — using an account name of mhmd.awada — also wrote: “How can you f live with dirty black skin?”, plus other vile racist slurs.

He then followed it up with some monkey emojis and vomiting faces.

Reece reported the abuse to Instagram and alerted support staff at Chelsea.

The Blues acted decisively with then owner Roman Abramovich writing to every player telling them he was “appalled” at the abuse sent to the right-back.

Roman pledged to provide additional funding for the club’s anti-racism efforts and this had led to the Met Police’s ­specialist football unit launching investigating and located the account.

They have since been liaising with cops in the Middle East and over the weekend, a source said: “There’s been a lot of conversation between police from both regions — everyone has been taking this case seriously.

“It’s vital players feel supported and listened to, and know that all efforts are being made to clamp down on racism within the game.

“Of course, there are fears that this account — and others like it — are linked to a racist group in Qatar, a country which has been found to have a poor track record for racist abuse against non-nationals.

“We’ve already seen England players being horrifically racially abused after the Euro 2020 final — the last thing anyone needs is a repeat.”

Last September, the Met confirmed it had recruited a specialist officer to focus on hate crime in football, while in April of last year, football united in an initiate to boycott of social media as a protest against online racism.

Reece suggests education, or a lack of it, is the root cause of racism.

At the Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham, Surrey, he said: “I think everyone has an equal right to play, no matter your sex, skin colour, or anything like that.”

He has also had his say in on the decision to award the World Cup to Qatar — a country renowned for human rights abuses and strict anti-gay laws.

Reece said: “I think most of the countries I know that are participating are trying to stand up for human rights there, and help people that can’t be themselves. I think everyone is working together to raise awareness and trying to show people that they can be who they are.”

October saw England captain Harry Kane make plans to wear a “OneLove” rainbow armband during the tournament in support of the LGBT community.

Two years ago, the United Nations issued “serious concerns of structural racial discrimination against non- nationals” in Qatar.

The report adds that low-wage workers suffered severe discrimination and exploitation — coming ten years after global football’s governing body Fifa controversially awarded the World Cup to the Arab nation.

It claimed there was a “de facto caste system based on national origin,” in Qatar.

There are also suggestions that “European, North American, Australian and Arab nationalities systematically enjoy greater human rights protections than South Asian and sub-Saharan African nationalities”.

Reece, whose sister is England Lioness and Chelsea star Lauren, adds the time is right for a top-flight player to come out as gay.

He said: “I don’t see why it hasn’t happened yet, In the women’s game it’s quite open and there’s a lot of relationships.”

Two years ago, the United Nations issued “serious concerns of structural racial discrimination against non- nationals” in Qatar.

The report adds that low-wage workers suffered severe discrimination and exploitation — coming ten years after global football’s governing body Fifa controversially awarded the World Cup to the Arab nation.

It claimed there was a “de facto caste system based on national origin,” in Qatar.

There are also suggestions that “European, North American, Australian and Arab nationalities systematically enjoy greater human rights protections than South Asian and sub-Saharan African nationalities”.

Reece, whose sister is England Lioness and Chelsea star Lauren, adds the time is right for a top-flight player to come out as gay.

He said: “I don’t see why it hasn’t happened yet, In the women’s game it’s quite open and there’s a lot of relationships.”