‘It’s hard as an African American to represent a country where people aren’t equal’ – says he’s considering quitting United States national team

DeAndre Yedlin has revealed he is considering quitting the United States national team because of the racial discrimination in his home country.

The Newcastle defender, 26, who has African-American, Native-American, and Jewish-Latvian heritage has condemned the prejudice against black people following the continued protests across the world since the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police officers.

Speaking about quitting the US national team, Yedlin told Sky Sports: ‘It’s something I’ve thought a lot about during this quarantine. 

‘My grandfather, my grandmother especially, I have a whole family of activists, they’ve always told me to stand up for what I believe in.

‘There’s no amount of money that can make me shut up about something I think is wrong.

‘It’s one of those waiting games to see if a change does happen. But if things go as they stand it’s hard for me as an African American male to represent a country that does things like this where all people aren’t equal.’

Yedlin believes the Premier League’s decision to replace all players’ names with ‘Black Lives Matter’ will send a powerful message from “the world’s sport”.

“If kids start seeing it on the back of players’ jerseys they start raising questions,” he says.