James: We’ll protest Qatar
REECE JAMES insists England players will ‘shine a light’ on the human rights abuses in Qatar ahead of the World Cup.
The Chelsea full back said Gareth Southgate’s squad are in talks over how to raise awareness of atrocities faced by migrant workers.
It comes after Amnesty International accused the FA of ‘completely lacking in courage’ to speak out against the human rights abuses and said they were ‘running down time’ to take a stand.
‘When there is something that can improve, we like to shine a light on it,’ said James. ‘There’s a lot of talks in camp about what’s gone on. We’re definitely going to raise awareness. We haven’t finalised what we’re going to do — we need to carry on talking about it.’
England’s stars have previously made strong statements on causes such as taking the knee.
Yet Amnesty criticised the FA’s ‘softly, softly approach’ that they believe is ‘to avoid sending the wrong message’ to FIFA and Qatar.
The FA say they are in dialogue with Amnesty and say there is ‘evidence of substantial progress being made by Qatar in relation to workers’ rights’, but recognise ‘there is still more to be done’.
On the field, meanwhile, it is Gareth Southgate who is feeling the brunt of the criticism, with impatient fans calling for England to play more exciting football after a series of mediocre performances in the Nations League.
If they are to flourish in Qatar, one of the areas that will be key is at full back. Southgate is blessed with a wealth of options at right back, with James competing with Kyle Walker and Trent AlexanderArnold for the starting berth.
‘I’ll try everything I can [to be first choice],’ said James, who started last night against Italy. ‘Only my performances will be able to prove what I can bring. In these games and building into next season I’ll hopefully be able to show that I’m ready to play every game.’
But for all the competition, there’s also a camaraderie among the right back club. Walker gives advice to the younger heads, while James fights Alexander-Arnold’s corner when asked about the criticism the Liverpool full back receives for his defensive errors.
‘I make mistakes as well. I gave away a penalty against Hungary so we are both still learning our trade,’ said James. ‘Liverpool have 95 per cent of the ball and he defends less than I have to. People have a lot of stuff to say and don’t really know the game. Trent is a great player.’