Wayne Rooney, the legendary former England and Manchester United player, has opened up about a deeply personal experience with racism during his tenure as manager of Major League Soccer club DC United. Rooney revealed that one of his players was racially abused and was so distraught that he cried on Rooney's chest. This incident has prompted Rooney to advocate for more robust anti-racism education campaigns and stricter penalties for clubs whose fans engage in racist behavior.

Speaking on his new BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney emphasized the emotional toll that racial abuse takes on players. "I don't think people realize - they say it as a throwaway line that they think has no meaning behind it, but it hurts people," Rooney said. "For people to see that and understand, there has to be more done to stop it."

The issue of racism in football has been thrust into the spotlight once again following an incident during the Premier League opener at Anfield. Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reported being racially abused by a fan during the Cherries' 4-2 defeat to Liverpool. The match was temporarily halted in the 29th minute after Semenyo informed the referee of the abuse. A 47-year-old man from Liverpool was subsequently arrested and banned from all UK football stadiums.

Rooney believes that education is key to eradicating racism from the sport. "There needs to be a strong campaign for society - for children, parents, and grandparents - to be educated," he said. However, Rooney also stressed the importance of imposing severe sanctions on clubs to deter such behavior. "You have to hit the clubs because that's the only way it will stop. If there is ignorance, the fans will still do it. You have to hit the clubs by taking off points or hit them in the pocket and take money away from them. Otherwise, it will keep on going."

The Football Association (FA) has the authority to impose financial penalties or stadium closures on clubs that fail to address reports of racist abuse. In 2023, League Two club Gillingham was fined £12,500 by the FA for three counts of misconduct following racist and sexist abuse by their supporters.

Rooney remains hopeful that the right measures will be put in place to combat racism in football. "Hopefully the right people sit down with the right organizations to try and get something serious in place," he concluded.