When I was young no one had a knife.. now it has changed. It’s very dangerous
SAYS WEST HAM’S MARKO ARNAUTOVIC
SO much for footballers being on another planet.
Marko Arnautovic is among many parents in despair at the knife crime epidemic that claimed five more lives – three of them teenage boys – in the last week alone.
As the West Ham striker gave this interview, police were called to a stabbing in Hackney Wick, a goal-kick away from the Hammers’ London Stadium.
Arnautovic, who has two daughters, moved to the capital from Stoke last year and is stunned by the scale of the crisis.
“Before, back in the day when I was young, when you had some problems you dealt with it with your hands,” said the 29-year-old. “No one had a knife.
“Now it’s changed. I think there are a lot of mafia movies that show maybe you’re a tough guy when you put something in your pocket.
“But it’s very dangerous. I just give advice to stay away from that, stay with your friends who are close to you. If one of those friends tries to change, talk to him. If he still tries to change, go away from him. It is not the right thing to go through the bad way.
“Everyone is trying, we’re trying, all the different clubs. The Premier League is trying, the politicians, everyone is trying to change this around, but you can’t change a child, woman, man or kid who’s got this in their head. You can’t change it, you can’t take it out.
“You just need to be, when you’re on the good side, you need to get away from this. Because I’ve seen a lot of stuff in my life and it’s not good to be there.”
West Ham are trying to address the issue with the Players’ Project, which will see members of the men’s and women’s teams act as ambassadors for an area of community work. The club will commit £10million over the next three years to try to help deprived communities and attempt inspire positive change.
Arnautovic has made himself a fans’ favourite in east London. Scorer of five goals in 10 games this season, he is confident of increasing that tally tomorrow at Huddersfield.
But the Austria forward is more concerned with the violence and social problems blighting lives.
“People look at Instagram and say they want money, they want this, they want that,” added Arnautovic (launching the Players’ Project at the club’s London Stadium, above and left, yesterday).
“Then they start selling drugs and selling this and that. It shouldn’t be the target to sell drugs and to go the bad way.
“I think they take this way because it’s easy. But you get hard punishment. You’re playing with your life.
“But when I see those kids out there, how they play, how they train, how they look up to us, it makes me feel happy.
“I just want to give advice to everyone to go the right way. It’s important for me.
“The most important thing is to listen to your family.” to