Ian Wright has weighed in on the Lionesses' decision to no longer take the knee before matches, expressing that, had he still been an active player, he would consider continuing the act as a personal symbol of standing against racism. The former England and Arsenal striker emphasised that taking the knee should always have been an individual choice rather than a mandated team action.
Jess Carter suffered racial abuseReceived severe online hateLionesses will not take knee anymoreFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Wright’s remarks came in light of recent events surrounding England defender Jess Carter, who became the target of racist abuse following her performance in the Lionesses' UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 quarter-final win over Sweden. The player disclosed that she had faced a surge of racist attacks on social media after the match and has since made the decision to step away from online platforms temporarily.
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In response to the abuse suffered by Carter and broader discussions within the squad, the England women's team confirmed they would no longer perform the symbolic kneel before games. The players released a collective statement, declaring that it was "clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism." They stressed their intent to adopt a new approach, one that fosters genuine dialogue and actionable change.
WHAT WRIGHT SAID
Ahead of England's semi-final win over Italy, Wright returned to ITV’s pundit panel and addressed the significance of the knee and how it had evolved since first gaining prominence in football after the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020.
"Firstly I think the decision to take the knee should have been a person thing, if you want to take it," Wright said. "I think it was always forced on people, for me, if I was playing now, for everything the knee represents, if we think of justice and equality of everything that goes with it, I think I would still take the knee.
"But in respects of Jess, the priority is she is ok and has the support around her but for me, I have said everything I can over the years in terms of racism and what it means and what it does and nothing gets any better. What I would say now is prepare your children, prepare your family, make them resilient because it is going to continue to come. People say that is negative, it isn't they are winning and have been winning and will continue to win, I would urge people to build resilience against it. We can't stop it, it is always going to happen."
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As Wright and others continue to advocate for awareness, respect, and resilience, the hope remains that football will evolve beyond symbolic gestures and toward real, lasting transformation. Meanwhile, Sarina Wiegman's troops are just a step away from successfully defending their Euro 2022 crown after they beat Italy 2-1 in the last four. They will now face the winners of Spain and Germany on Sunday at St. Jakob-Park.