In the aftermath of the killing of US citizen, George Floyd, a number of sports people across the world have used their platform to support the Black Lives Matter movement and similar initiatives, and now Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren has felt compelled to add his voice to the conversation.
Lovren grew up as a refugee as his parents had to flee war-torn Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, and he is happy that his fellow professionals are now finding their voices when it comes to calling for social change, in whatever form that may take.
“It’s not only about how you perform and scoring goals,” he said to Sky Sports. “I think you should use your platform, especially when you have millions of people who are following you.
“I want to be recognised also as a man who is spreading love and positivity. I’m looking at myself and it’s like I have a duty. Sometimes it’s positive, sometimes it’s negative, but I will not stop with it.
“It’s not about showing off what you have or anything like that. It’s about doing good things around the world.
“I know when you do something, some people will judge you and say ‘stick to football’ or things like that, but I don’t agree with that. We are all humans and we all have interest in some other things.
“The main focus is always football, of course, but if you can say something positive and push somebody else to think about something differently, to help others and to put out the message that we are all equal, then something good will come from it – especially in this moment of crisis.”
The Reds are within six points of their first English top-flight title in 30 years, and Lovren’s immediate focus would appear to be on delivering the longed-for trophy as quickly as possible, per Sky Sports.
However, it’s heartening to hear a willingness from another professional willing to lend their voice to matters of genuine and long-standing concern.
The notion that he won’t be silenced either is a shot in the arm for anyone with a conscience over such issues.