Ex-Celtic kid 'racially abused' by Scotland teammate

The winger was a prodigious talent coming through the Celtic academy and was coveted by both Scotland and England. Born in London to Ivorian parents, he had moved to Glasgow when he was three and was educated here.

He felt Scottish as a result, but after being involved in some of the age groups for both countries, began to feel more at home with the English set-up.

Part of that was feeling more accepted, claiming he was racially abused by a colleague when with Scotland.

In an interview with The Athletic, the now-QPR winger said: “When I went to one of the Scotland camps, a team-mate was racist to me. He used a racial reference. He would always target me. I was so young — two years younger — I couldn’t defend myself physically but it was bullying, for sure.

“I don’t even want to say what he said. I didn’t report it. I felt disgusted. When you’re racially abused, coming out and saying that someone said this feels quite embarrassing.”

The Scottish FA provided a statement, a spokesperson saying: “We are saddened to learn of  Karamoko’s experience while on international duty,” it read. “The Scottish FA has made great strides in embedding a culture of equality and inclusion within all national teams. We have reached out to Karamoko to offer support but also to reaffirm our commitment to ensure everyone feels welcome and that measures are in place to prevent discrimination, whether real or perceived, within our camps.

“As part of Show Racism the Red Card’s Month of Action, we are launching a subsidised education programme to our member clubs designed to educate players, youth players, club staff and leaders. We will continue to support players across our squads and our member clubs, and work to eradicate all forms of discrimination in our national game.”