The impact of the cruel comments made by his childhood peers only hit Boidu Sayeh when he got older.
Taking part in The Sunday Game's discussion last night on racism, Sayeh admitted that Jason Sherlock's description of the self-doubt that was a direct result of being racially abused struck a chord.
"When I was younger I experienced, as Jason said, the self-doubt, getting comments and taking it in," said the Westmeath footballer.
Born in Liberia, Sayeh was brought to Ireland by his aunt Therese and uncle Ben when he was eight years old.
The racial abuse started soon after.
"That's primary school, kids are going to say things and that's why I'd have a very strong view on educating kids because kids will say what they hear at home, or what they hear," Sayeh remarked.
"I got comments from kids when I was only about eight or nine and it upset me a lot.
"It was kinda, 'go back to where you came from, you don't belong here'.
"But the parents of those kids talked to them and told them it was wrong, they tried to help them and it was good for my mother and it was good for me as well to hear that."
He added: "I'm pretty much Irish as well and I just left everything. I didn't really talk about it, or didn't express it much, I just took it in and let it slide, really.
"But when I got older, I'd remember all those comments and would be thinking, 'Jeez, how did I take that?'.
"At the time I wasn't used to it, it was something new to me. It felt normal.
"It felt like I'm being slagged, but it didn't feel like it was an issue until I got a bit older and you're hearing other stories and you think, 'Wow, it is an issue'."
Recently Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, who was born in Fiji, raised in Australia and moved to Ireland when he was 10, spoke of how joining his local GAA club in Cork opened the door to acceptance in his new community.
“It was different for me because I was instantly welcomed into the school, and the school is a big part of the GAA in that area so all the kids play GAA," said Sayeh.
“The minute I was welcomed into the school I was automatically welcomed into the GAA club.
“So, it was easy for me - to start playing the sport, and to get along with the people there, and family and friends there as well, so it was a bit different for me".
