Aberdeen FC star Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has called out a vile racist who branded him a monkey on social media.
The 30-year-old striker had commented on an Instagram post by Rangers man Jermain Defoe before being targeted on Friday morning.
Sharing a screenshot of the abuse, which used a monkey and a banana emoji, Thomas wrote: “Theres always 1… have you got nothing better to do at 8.30am?”
His response has racked up more than 3000 likes on Twitter with football fans branding the troll’s actions as “disgraceful”.
One wrote said: “Another keyboard warrior, not worth your time or energy. Absolutely disgusting.”
Another said: “It really is sickening, the fact that these attitudes still exist and that there is still scope on these platforms for people to get away with spouting vile comments.”
A third posted: “Another ignorant keyboard warrior, not worth a second of your time. I appreciate that’s easy for me to say, as I am not the one on the end of this mindless and pathetic tweet.
“Just know the majority find it abhorrent and stand with you.”
And another added: “You’re always a hero to us, Jet.”
The comment and account has since been removed by Instagram after being flagged.
A Facebook company spokesman said: "The racist abuse directed at Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is unacceptable and we’ve removed the comment and the account that posted it.
"We have built safety features, including Comment Filters and Message Controls, which can meaningfully decrease the abuse people experience.
“No single thing will fix this challenge overnight but we’re committed to doing what we can to keep our community safe from abuse."
Aberdeen FB have been approached for comment.
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