Quotes from John Barnes

Talking about what any one section of our society has to do to combat racism just stops people outside that group asking difficult questions of themselves. We keep looking at symptoms and not treating the cause.

How many black people are there in the higher echelons of any industry? We can talk about journalism, we can talk about politics. So why should football be any different?

I think the only thing you should be judged on is your performance in whatever field you happen to be in.

Societies go backwards sometimes.

The simple fact is there are no laws you can pass to stop people racially abusing black footballers. So the solution is to come up with something that doesn't make people want to abuse black footballers in the first place.

I moved into midfield because I ruptured my Achilles tendon and couldn't run anymore - it's not what I wanted to do, it's what I had to do!

For a long time, images of black men with big lips and a round head were used to make us feel inferior, but it doesn't need to be like that, we don't need to self'loathe. We can change the narrative.

Before we are footballers or fans, we are ordinary members of society. We are doctors, lawyers, milkmen, postmen, unemployed people, students... So why are they called racist football fans? Are they just racist for the 90 minutes of a match, when the other six days a week they're not?

I'm quite unfit. It's the motivation that's the problem, I need a goal. When I was a professional footballer I trained every day because I had to.

Britain has always told the world that being British is about the humanity, compassion and moral fortitude that we have. All great things that we are supposed to have spread across the world. A leave vote now says that we don't really care about anyone else, we don't care what happens to the European Union.

Once you have players you like and a good enough squad there's no need to spend money.

Just by saying it is wrong to be racist and saying we are going to arrest people and kick them out of stadiums does not stop them being racist.

If every racist who came to football was silenced, football stadiums would still be full of racists. Racism is everywhere in our society, it is inside every one of us.

My dad was a proper old English gentleman, even though he was from the Caribbean. He used to stand up and salute during the Queen's Christmas speech.

I felt I had to take the Celtic opportunity. You quickly learn that any managerial vacancy attracts up to 60 or 70 applicants, so you need a good reason to turn a job down. A start is a start.

African society and culture varies much more than European society but it's just considered 'Africa' as if they are all the same.

Football is a socialist sport. Financially, some may receive more rewards than others but, from a footballing perspective, for 90 minutes, regardless of whether you are Lionel Messi or the substitute right-back for Argentina, you are all working to the same end.

If Arsene Wenger came down to League Two he would have to adapt, he couldn't work in the same way he works at Arsenal.

The only fight worth fighting is to give all children equal opportunities regardless of race or gender, to judge individuals on their qualities and not their backgrounds. The victory won't come when nobody feels able to voice racist abuse, but when nobody thinks of doing so in the first place.

There wasn't a game in the Eighties when you didn't get racial abuse as a black player.

I give balanced, constructive views and what happens is that bits and pieces of what I say are used against me.

The fight against racial bias in society will not be won by hounding Liam Neeson or boycotting his films. It will be won by allowing honest discussions about why people hold biased views and exposing the flawed logic behind them.

I used to think you had to be very selfish, but as I get older my views on life change.

I think Liverpool, when Coutinho left, they were a much better team.