Hendo call for change

JORDAN HENDERSON has launched a campaign aimed at forcing real change in the fight against online racism and abuse.

The Liverpool skipper revealed he has considered deleting all his social media channels in protest over the “horrendous abuse online” that his friends, team-mates and people from all walks of society suffer every day.

Team-mates Trent Alexander-arnold and Naby Keita were both subjected to horrific racism online after this week’s defeat by Real Madrid, and Henderson wants action from social media companies and the government.

We understand the Premier League will demand social media companies make more efforts to stop the abuse.

It comes as Swansea took a stand and started a seven-day boycott of all social media at 5pm yesterday, in protest at what they say has been months of abuse against some of their players.

The Premier League will have meetings with senior figures at companies like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to force through lasting change.

Henderson (inset) has teamed up with Cybersmile, a foundation that supports people who suffer online abuse, and educates over the issues raised, by handing over all his social media channels to promote their message.

“Things have got to change. Online abuse has got to stop,” he said. “Over the past few years I’ve seen some of my friends, team-mates, other players, people within football, out of football, the wider society, suffer some horrendous abuse online...which is now out of control.

“And still I don’t really see much changing.

“Again, on Tuesday night, some of my team-mates were racially abused online after a football match – and to me that’s unacceptable.

“The social media platforms should be doing more, and as a society we need to be kinder to each other – that’s where it starts and stops.

“So I’m handing all my social media accounts over to @ Cybersmilehq who I have partnered with to raise awareness of the impact that cyberbullying and online abuse can have on people.”

Brighton and former Swansea boss, Graham Potter praised his old club’s boycott.

He said: “I know the media guys at Swansea and it’s a good club with good people. I support their decision.”

And West Brom boss, Sam Allardyce, backed Swansea after revealing what happened to the Baggies’ star Callum Robinson.

Allardyce said: “I’d praise and support their stance. Callum got over 70 messages from apparently 20 different sites on Instagram.

“In the world we live in today, it is simply not good enough.”