Former Ipswich Town striker David McGoldrick played a leading role as Sheffield United and Aston Villa players taking a knee prior to the resumption of the Premier League, it’s been reported.
The two sides made the gesture in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on Wednesday evening, with all players and staff, as well as officials, kneeling for eight seconds once the referee had blown the whistle to begin the game. Manchester City an Arsenal players followed suit later in the evening, with the show of unity and protest second out a powerful message as the top flight resumed play. Colchester, Exeter, Northampton and Cheltenham players also made the same gesture prior to their League Two play-off semi-final games on Thursday night.
MORE: ‘We hope it’s a very different situation then’ - hopes for supporters’ return in SeptemberThe Daily Mail report that McGoldrick, who left Ipswich in 2018, played a major role in the move, with the striker proposing the idea to Villa alongside his skipper, Billy Sharp.
Kick It Out chairman Sanjay Bhandari said: “It was fantastic. It was so choreographed and so powerful. It is really important we have these gestures of solidarity.”
McGoldrick, who has scored twice in 25 appearances this season, signed a new deal with the Blades earlier this week to extend his stay until 2022.
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