Arsenal’s Maitland-Niles makes racism claim

LONDON: Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles claims he has endured similar racist abuse to Manchester City star Raheem Sterling.Sterling allegedly suffered racist taunts from a Chelsea fan during City’s 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The shocking incident has reignited the debate over how to tackle racism in football after the sport struggled for decades to eradicate the problem.Now Maitland-Niles has revealed his own disturbing experience of racism.

Asked if he has been on the receiving end of racist abuse, the 21-year-old replied: “Yes, I have. Not at a professional level but growing up in the youth ranks.“I think it’s disgusting, honestly. I really do credit Raheem for coming out and standing up for himself and other players and speaking about it.”