Liverpool legend John Barnes will be celebrated in a poem as part of a TV special celebrating the achievements of black athletes across the globe.
Joseph Roberts, 19, will perform his poem, 'One Common Goal', on Sport In Words on BT Sport on October 1 - the start of Black History Month.
The show, hosted by author Benjamin Zephaniah, sees 11 poets from across Britain come together to honour the achievements of black athletes, from late legend Muhammad Ali to present-day greats Mo Farah and Nicola Adams.
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Joseph, an English Literature and Creative Writing student at Liverpool John Moores University, said: "Being from Liverpool, and being a big Liverpool FC fan, I've always been a fan of John Barnes. What I'm really fascinated by is how he uses his experiences in football to challenge people's perceptions. His book, The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism, is very powerful."
His chosen poem looks back on Barnes' 19-year career as a professional footballer and the barriers he had to overcome as a black athlete, as he was often subjected to racist abuse from spectators.
The famous shot of the left-winger kicking away a banana peel which had been thrown at him during a game at Everton in 1988 was the inspiration for the poem. Lyrics from New Order's World in Motion, England's World Cup 1990 song, also feature in the performance.
Joseph said: "I wanted to capture that moment in time and talk about the bitterness of racism, and how Barnes overcame adversity."
Joseph, who lives in Walton, applied to appear on the show after winning the UK Best Spoken Word Newcomer Award 2022 with a performance filmed at the M&S Bank Arena in January.
Filming took place at the BT Sports studios in Strafford this week.
He said: "For me, it was an amazing experience. I started as a poet in a school assembly when I was 16, so for me to be speaking on TV now is amazing.
"I really felt like I had found my people who were driven just as I was, because I'm very passionate about what I do.
"I went to see Benjamin Zephaniah in 2019 at the Storyhouse theatre in Chester, and I queued up to have a book signed by him. Now for him to be calling my name from up on stage was very emotional. It was a big moment for me and a big moment for the spoken word as well."
Sport In Words will air on BT Sport on October 1 at a time TBA.
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