As part of the Premier League's No Room For Racism initiative all 20 Premier League clubs have nominated a "No Room For Racism Icon" to highlight the contribution of Black, Asian and minority ethnic people in football and showcase the importance of diversity on and off the pitch.
Each of those icons will be celebrated with an illustration of them by artist Kingsley Nebechi, which will feature across club channels, along with a range of content to demonstrate the impact they have made.
There will also be a league-wide illustration that will bring together each of the club nominees, along with a range of content to demonstrate the impact they have made.
Ameobi - Newcastle's local hero
One of the No Room For Racism Icons is former Newcastle United striker Shola Ameobi, who has been nominated by his club to celebrate his contribution on and off the pitch.
Having been born and raised close to St James’ Park, Ameobi went on to make 294 Premier League appearances for the Magpies.
He now works within the Academy as a loan co-ordinator and offers invaluable experience and insight to the club’s community work in his role as Foundation Trustee.
Ameobi is part of the Premier League Black Participants’ Advisory Group, which played a key role in shaping the No Room For Racism Action Plan.
This was launched in 2021 to set out a series of commitments aimed at creating greater access to opportunities and career progression for Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups in football, along with actions to eradicate racial prejudice.
'Power of sport to break down barriers'
“Football has given me an incredible amount of joy over the years, and I was very lucky to represent and score goals for my boyhood club, playing alongside team-mates from all around the world," he said. “I have seen the power of sport at all levels to unite people and break down barriers. Programmes like No Room For Racism are so important in ensuring there is diversity in all areas of the game, as well as continuing the fight against discrimination.
“I am proud to be one of the ‘No Room For Racism Icons’, who highlight the incredible contribution that people from ethnically diverse backgrounds have had in football over the years. Steps are being taken to improve diversity in many areas and this can only make football stronger.”
Premier League No Room For Racism Icons
Arsenal - Kieron Lewis, U12 Head Coach
Aston Villa - Kamsi Nwachukwu, U13 Academy Player
Bournemouth - Vaishnav Sinha, Ticketing Data Analyst
Brentford - Karleigh Osborne, Head Coach and Technical Lead for Brentford Women
Brighton & Hove Albion – Dave Busby, former player
Chelsea - Victor Odeyemi, Schools Education, Senior Officer
Crystal Palace – Mark Bright, Club Ambassador and Academy Loans Manager & former player
Everton - James Vaughan, Head of Academy Recruitment and Player Pathways & former player
Fulham - Alexander Iwobi, player
Ipswich Town - Ali Al-Hamadi, player
Leicester City - Rukhsana Hussain, Active Women Coordinator
Liverpool - Carvell Cushion, LFC Foundation Business Administration Coordinator
Manchester City - Sevvy Aslam, Parent Liaison and Inclusive Recruitment Manager
Manchester United - Imran Hamid, U9s and U12s Academy Coach
Newcastle United - Shola Ameobi, Loans Manager, Foundation Trustee & former player
Nottingham Forest - Jason Lee, Trustee on Nottingham Forest Community Trust Board & former player
Southampton - Shiraz Zawahir, SO14 Active Project Officer at Saints Foundation
Tottenham Hotspur - Belvin Lewis, Physical Health Coach
West Ham United - Kalam Mooniaruk, Head of Coaching and Player Development
Wolverhampton Wanderers - Melissa Forde, Performance Head Chef
