Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry has thanked Norwich City star Todd Cantwell for taking a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement as he celebrated his brilliant goal against Manchester United.
The Norfolk-born Canaries academy product used his big moment during an FA Cup quarter-final being broadcast live on BBC One - which had a peak audience of 6.4 million people - to make a statement.
All Premier League players, coaches and officials have been taking a knee in support of BLM just before kick-off since the season resumed earlier this month, while all top-flight players had the name on the back of their shirts replaced by ‘Black Lives Matter’ during the first round of fixtures.
That follows a rise in racial tensions in the USA which has spread into a global movement calling for racial equality, with many of the world’s top sporting and cultural stars using their platforms to show support.
Premier League players also have BLM logos sewn into their shirt, as well as an NHS logo in recognition of the hard work and sacrifices made by key workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cantwell is among the many Canaries players to use his social media platforms to show support for BLM and took that a step further during his celebration of a superb equaliser in the 75th minute against Manchester United, which eventually ended in a 2-1 defeat after extra-time.
Henry posted a photo of the 22-year-old on his knee, with one fist raised, on Twitter and said: “Actions speak louder than words. Huge respect Todd Cantwell. Thank you for feeling our pain.”
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The England Under-21 midfielder is originally from Dereham and has been with the Canaries since his under-11 age group. He scored his seventh goal of a breakthrough season at the top level on Saturday.
The continued support of BLM comes following a controversial ‘White Lives Matter Burnley’ message being flown over the Etihad Stadium as Burnley lost to Manchester City on Monday - a message which was totally condemned inside and outside of the game, with such phrases missing the point of the movement entirely.
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