Brentford club ambassador Karleigh Osborne says football has made real progress on representation since he first came through, but believes there is still work to do, particularly in the positions of power higher up the game.
Osborne reflects on the racism he experienced as a player, how it shaped him, and what he wants to see from the game next.
"One of the biggest things my mum gave me was belief," he explained. "When I faced rejection in football, or felt I wasn't doing enough or wasn't playing in a team, she told me to keep fighting and keep believing in myself.
"I really started to feel like this was something I could go and achieve and live as a career," he remembered. It was also a place where he could express himself and channel his energy.
Playing the game he loved did not shield Osborne from racism. He recalled the first time he faced it in a match, a moment he described as really difficult. At first, he thought the crowd was booing him every time he touched the ball. Then he realised what he was actually hearing.
"It was actually monkey chanting every time I touched the ball, that was my first real taste of racism," he said.
Later in the same game, as he went to take a throw-in, a supporter directed racial abuse at him, focusing on the colour of his skin. "It was really, really tough," he continued, "because it was in the same game, but it was also the experience of people targeting me because of the colour of my skin."
What Osborne did next was keep it to himself. "I just suffered in silence and acted like it didn't affect me," he stated, "but naturally, internally, it did."
He explained that experiences earlier in his life had made him resilient to negative situations, which helped him get through it. "But it definitely played on my mind," he added. "It would be in the back of my mind sometimes when I was playing, if something happened in the game."
Looking back, he believes speaking about it matters. "Being able to talk about certain things gives you space to get perspective or support, and it can help you navigate those negative feelings and emotions," Osborne stressed.
"I just suffered in silence and acted like it didn't affect me, but naturally, internally, it did."
He was determined not to let racism diminish him. "It was important not to let people diminish me or make me feel less valued as a person," he said. "Those things used to fuel me to do more, to do better and to prove people wrong."
It has also shaped how he uses his voice, as he understands he is far from the only player to have faced this, and that sharing his experience can help others. "I think it's important to lead by example. I understand that I'm not the only one who has had those experiences, and sometimes sharing them can help other people."
He is open, too, about the pressure of trying to be who everyone else expects. "I definitely struggled at times with trying to be the person everybody else wanted me to be, rather than who I truly am," he admitted.
It is something he has learned from as he has got older. "My life is my life to live, and as long as you're a good person, want to help others and want to do your best, you should live it the way you want to."
"I think it's important to lead by example, I understand that I'm not the only one who has had those experiences, and sometimes sharing them can help other people."
In the dressing room, Osborne found role models who showed him what was possible. Marcus Gayle, now his fellow ambassador, was the standout. "Marcus Gayle really took me under his wing, especially in his second spell; he gave me a belief that I could go and follow in his footsteps."
Gayle was not the only one. Osborne also points to the other Black players around him, naming Isaiah Rankin, Deon Burton, Jamie Lawrence and Sam Sodje among those who helped him believe he could achieve it too.
What he did not see, he pointed out, was diversity in leadership roles away from the pitch. "There was not diversity in any in that sense, and I think it might have made a difference, because you could maybe see beyond the pitch," Osborne reflected.
Asked how football looks now compared with when he was coming through, Osborne is encouraged by what he sees.
"There's lots of good change that's happened in football," he reflected. "We're seeing more Black managers, more Black coaching staff and more Black players, and that's really positive."
He also sees a shift in how Black players are viewed. They are increasingly recognised, he adds, as good players "not just for their speed or their strength, but for their footballing ability". On the coaching side, he mentioned that there is more visual representation than there used to be.
However, he is clear that the job is not finished. "Do I think we could do more? 100 per cent, one thing that hasn't changed enough yet is diversity in more powerful positions higher up: board members, CEOs, chairmen. I still think there's a lot more room for change in those areas."
It is a point Brentford recognises. Deji Davies has sat on the club's board since 2021 and having Davies in the boardroom puts the club ahead of others on this issue, but it also shows how far the game still has to go.
He argues that progress has to be collective. "It takes everyone. Allyship is really important," he continued, "and football needs to be a space that shows everyone has a place in this game."
At Brentford, Osborne sees that change first-hand. "I feel very proud when I see the number of Black players in the Academy today, and when I see Black players coming through the club, there's a lot more than there used to be, which is a fantastic thing. You can see these players are able to express themselves and chase their dreams."
For Osborne, representation has to go beyond the pitch. He stressed how much it matters for young players to see Black people in leadership and decision-making roles. "It shows there's a future beyond the pitch," he explained. "It shows there are possibilities off the pitch, and that there are people you can relate to. It shows progression."
"There are plenty of Black people who are the right fit for those roles; it's just about people trusting that they can be in those roles and make good decisions."
Looking ahead, his advice to a young Black player starting out is simple. "Don't be afraid to express yourself, carry yourself in the right way as a professional, work hard and push yourself every day, but believe it's possible," Osborne stated. "That self-belief, no matter what you face, is really important, as long as you're willing to commit and keep developing, and stay open and coachable."
To parents, he offers a different message, drawing on his experience of raising his own children. He encouraged them to give their child a safe space where they can speak openly about how they feel, while keeping them grounded and humble.
And he believes honest conversations are what will move the game forward, even when they are uncomfortable. "I'd much rather someone be truthfully honest with me, because then I know how I can improve."
"Don't be afraid to express yourself, carry yourself in the right way as a professional, work hard and push yourself every day, but believe it's possible"
For Osborne, the club means a lot to him. "It means the world to me, and it's very close to my heart," he said. "The club has had a huge impact on me and the person I am today. I've been around some brilliant people who trusted me, believed in me and told me to keep going." As an ambassador, he added, he wants to make sure he has a positive impact on the club.
It ties back to the values that have carried him through. "I believe in a constant pursuit of progression," he explained. "I'm always trying to do my best and be the best version of myself I can be. That is what Brentford helps me to do."