Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has called out a user on Twitter who demanded players stay silent on political matters, insisting that 'mindless idiots' need educating.
The past fortnight has seen anti-racism protests triggered by the death of George Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis last month, spread across the globe.
Bamford has been vocal on his Twitter account in recent days, last week tweeting: "Things have to change, abusing power, privilege and authority," in response to a clip highlighting police brutality.
That led to a Twitter user apparently taking issue with Bamford's stance and use of the platform to air his views, with the Leeds striker sharing a picture of a series of private messages in which he takes the user to task.
"Mindless idiots like this are the people who need educating the most," Bamford posted along with the screen grabs. "Happy to ignore it as long as it doesn’t affect him. I wonder how he would act if the shoe were on the other foot," he continued.
In the exchange Bamford defended his stance with the user.
"We have a platform to try help force change and educate people. The fact you are happy ignoring it and getting on with your life says a lot about you. People like you are part of the problem," he wrote before being accused of being 'far left'.
"I'm not far left or anything close to interested in politics," Bamford continued. "I just think that if people like you were to open your mind and consider the struggles others go through then it would help solve the problem. Imagine you were constantly picked on because of a trait/characteristic you didn't choose. I'm sure then you'd have a problem with it."
Bamford's tweet was met by a widespread chorus of praise from Leeds United supporters, with the message being liked more than five-and-a-half thousand times.
