Soccer-Ex-Everton striker Anichebe says frustrated by police stop

© Reuters.

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Former Everton striker Victor Anichebe
says he has grown weary of being racially discriminated against
after being stopped by police while driving his car last week.
Anichebe, 32, said he was pulled over by police officers
after leaving a petrol station on Merseyside in England, an
incident he labelled a "joke".
"A lot of the times, I am a lot more level-headed but
because of everything that's going on I am just tired,"
Anichebe, who also played for West Bromwich Albion and
Sunderland, told Sky Sports.
"They ... followed me for a good five minutes. They pulled
me over and said I drove over a kerb.
"I said it's a disgrace and it's only because I am black and
driving a nice car that you are pulling me over. They just kept
saying ... this is routine and I shouldn't be angry. But we are,
we are all angry. We are tired of the things going on."
Merseyside police said in a statement to Sky Sports it was
their duty to stop people when there was a concern with the
standard of driving to ensure protection of all involved. In the
Anichebe incident, the driver was "allowed to carry on without
any penalty", according to the statement.
The Nigerian striker, who has previously faced racist abuse
while playing for Everton in a Europa League game, stressed on
the importance of education to help spark change.
"I just feel people are not going to stop until change
happens. I do feel like a lot of people want change. I think
that a conversation needs to happen," he said.
Anichebe has signalled his interest in buying a soccer club
to try and improve ethnic minority representation in positions
of power within the sport, a problem that has come to light
through the Black Lives Matter movement in recent months.
"I would like to go down that route of owning a team. I do
have a group of people that are quite wealthy and together we
could come together ... Instead of wanting change, we can be the
change ourselves," he said.