Tammy Abraham has vowed to “silence the haters” who targeted him with racist abuse following Chelsea’s Uefa Super Cup defeat to Liverpool.
The 21-year-old received a rousing Stamford Bridge reception as a 61st-minute substitute in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Leicester — his first outing since he missed the decisive spot-kick during the penalty shootout in Istanbul.
Abraham received what anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out described as “predictable but no less disgusting” abuse on social media and the striker told Sky Sports: “You just want to silence the haters. You just want to do your bit on the pitch [and] let the football do the talking.
“Things happen in football. Unfortunately for me I was on the receiving end. I have had experiences of taking penalties under pressure [and] tucking them away. Unfortunately for me I missed.
“I was getting some abuse but for me I am a positive guy. I don’t listen to the rubbish, to the people who try to bring you down. I just try to keep the focus on me and keep going.”
With a Fifa transfer ban restricting his options, new Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is determined to support the club’s younger players with regular game-time.
Mason Mount scored Chelsea’s goal on Sunday—a strike later cancelled out by Wilfred Ndidi’s second-half header—while Abraham continued his run of appearing in every competitive game under Lampard by replacing Olivier Giroud.
