John Barnes: Liam Neeson ‘deserves a medal’

Former Liverpool footballer John Barnes has told BBC Radio 5 Live that he believes Liam Neeson "deserves a medal" amid a major racism storm.

Neeson admitted in an interview with the Independent that 40 years ago he strolled the streets looking to kill any black man who provoked him, hoping to take out his anger after someone close to him was raped by a black man.

The Hollywood star said he was ashamed of his actions and later told Good Morning America that he wasn't racist, but his remarks have sparked widespread outrage.

Speaking to Emma Barnett, John Barnes, who has frequently spoken about racism in football, said: “The majority of people have those widely held views on black and Chinese [people]… based on what they’ve been wrongly told about them.”