Former England footballer Fara Williams has spoken out about the sexist and homophobic abuse she has suffered online, saying she’s been told to “get back in the kitchen”. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, the ex-midfielder turned football pundit said trolls question her knowledge of the sport, telling her she knows “nothing about the game”. The 39-year-old, who is England’s most capped player, said the online abuse is “definitely sexist” and gets worse and is “more aggressive” when she is reporting on men’s football rather than the women’s game. “When I’m doing punditry in a women’s game, the percentages in terms of the abuse you get is really, really minimal compared to when as a female, I talk on the men’s game as a pundit,” Williams said. “The abuse heightens and it’s more aggressive, more direct. Definitely more abusive.” The football commentator said she thought “jealousy” was “probably one of the main things” which drives people to perpetrate online abuse. She said many people think trolls are people who you are “really close to”, adding: “You get trolled by people that you think are your friends and they are the ones that know the most about you.” The former Lioness said she is able to cope with the online hate because she has a “thick skin”, but her ability to handle abuse could potentially change if the harassment were to ramp up. The “daily” abuse suffered by footballers she used to play with who are now prominent in the media is “not acceptable”, she stated. Ms Williams added: “I’ve seen a change in them as people because of social media – close friends that have really been affected by some of the awful abuse that they get online.” She said: “If you are bombarded with abuse daily, at some point it will affect your mental health, whether you think you are strong headed or not.” Ms Williams said: “As I said, I’m quite strong headed now, but there is nothing to say that if I was to be absolutely bombarded with abuse on a daily basis, that couldn’t change how I start to think and see myself.” Her friends are targeted with “horrific abuse” for simply “having an opinion in a workplace that they are supposed to have an opinion in”, she added. Discussing homophobic online abuse, she said: “I’m sure they’re aware that there are a lot of gay people within the women’s game, and it’s easy for them to drop a comment in.” Ms Williams, a member of Hope United, a team of footballers committed to tackling online sexist hate, reflected on whether the abuse she endures would worsen if her punditry for men’s football ramps up. "They could talk about the way I talk, the way I look, the way I sound,” she added. “Who I think I am.” Ms Williams said she hoped abuse on social media would improve when the online safety bill is rolled out as a change in the law would make people “accountable” for their comments. The legislation, which aims to tackle hate speech, cyberbullying, and disinformation, is in its final stages in parliament and would see social media companies also held accountable for abuse published on their sites. The ex-footballer attended a roundtable meeting at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday to demonstrate her backing for proposed changes to the online safety bill, which would boost the online protection of women and girls. “For me, social media has become a fantasy world where you can do whatever you want and get away with it without any consequences,” Ms Williams said. Turning her attention to the World Cup kiss saga, she said it was “disappointing” that it “took so long” to be dealt with. Her comments come after the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales has come under sustained criticism for kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain secured their 1-0 win over England last month. Rubiales, who was also condemned for grabbing his crotch after Spain won the women’s world title for the first time in history, refused to step down over his behaviour but was suspended by Fifa. He eventually resigned as president on Sunday, after weeks of pressure, after Hermoso filed a legal complaint. Jorge Vilda, head coach of Spain’s women’s team, was fired last week after he was among those who praised Rubiales’ refusal to step down. “It’s the only thing that’s been spoken about when Spain were phenomenal in the World Cup and these women should be celebrated,” she added. “For me, it’s a celebration of their success and I think that’s been forgotten and the girls probably haven’t been able to celebrate.” Discussing Rubiales, she said: “I think the right thing has been done now. He stepped away from it. He still hasn’t apologised.” Read More Fara Williams: England’s most-capped footballer announces retirement England winning Euro 2022 ‘a real proud moment’ for ex-midfielder Fara Williams Jill Scott says World Cup kiss saga ‘overshadowed’ Spanish women’s team playing ‘great football’ Lioness Demi Stokes says misogynistic abuse online ‘really affected’ England players’ game ‘History in the making’: Lionesses’ Euros success sparks booming interest in women’s football Women’s sport is bigger and better than ever in 2023 – rundown of the best in the calendar

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Harry Wilson revealed how the Wales dressing room serenaded David Brooks with “his song” after the Bournemouth forward scored his first international goal since beating cancer. Brooks was diagnosed with stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021 while on Wales duty. The 26-year-old announced he was cancer-free in May last year, but it has been a long road back to form and fitness as Brooks’ body took time to recover from the full effects of the disease. So it was no surprise the entire Wales squad wildly celebrated the stoppage time goal that Brooks scored to seal a 2-0 European Championship qualifying victory over Latvia on Monday. It was Brooks’ first Wales goal since scoring the winner in a Nations League tie against the Republic of Ireland in November 2020. “When the news broke that he had his illness we were on camp and it hit us hard,” Wilson said after the Riga success. “He’s a big part of the group. He’s been my room mate for years and it was tough for us all. “To see how strong he’s been through it all, how he’s come back and regained his fitness. He’s had setbacks along the way and picked up a few injuries. “His body was completely shut down for a while and it’s going to happen, but it’s how he’s dealt with those setbacks. “Now he’s fully fit he showed his quality at the end. At that moment in the game a lot of players would have snatched at that chance, but he was so calm to wait for the keeper to go down and just lifted it over him.” Wales supporters are used to belting out the ‘Brooks will tear you apart again’ song to the tune of Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear You Apart’ in tribute to him. Wilson said: “The other day when he came on against South Korea the fans must have sang his song for a good 15 to 20 minutes. “They were singing it again at the end when we went to them to show our appreciation. “I think he must have done an interview so he was the last one back in the dressing room. “We had it going as well and I think it shows what a massive member of this group he’s been and how much he’s been missed over the couple of years he’s been out of the squad.” Wales’s win – only their second in 14 games – has put them back in the mix for a top-two spot and automatic qualification while easing the pressure on boss Rob Page. They have drawn level with Armenia on seven points and trail Croatia and Turkey by three. Next month’s visit from group favourites Croatia will be followed by a November double-header away to Armenia and at home to Turkey. Wilson said: “We’ve done well at home in the past against big teams when we’ve got the ‘Red Wall’ behind us. We’ll be looking to do that again. “We know Armenia away is going to be tough, hostile and the pitch might not be great, but you’ve got to deal with that when you go to these places. “We feel it’s back in our hands now and we have to make sure we put on performances like we have done before. “We were all disappointed with how the summer camp went, not just the results (defeats to Armenia and Turkey) but the performances as well. “We couldn’t wait to get back on camp and put right what went wrong in the summer. We put a bit of pressure on ourselves but we never do it the easy way.”

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Devin Haney defends his undisputed lightweight titles against Vasiliy Lomachenko tonight, in a blockbuster bout in Las Vegas. Haney, 24, enters the main event unbeaten, having achieved undisputed status with a points win over George Kambosos Jr in the Australian’s backyard in June, before repeating the result in October – once again in Melbourne – to retain the belts. Now, the American (29-0, 15 knockouts) defends the gold against Lomachenko, one of the finest fighters of this generation. The Ukrainian (17-0, 11 KOs) is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a former multiple-weight world champion. But, at 35, is Lomachenko making his last stand? Is the southpaw a fading force or is he capable of another world title run? Find out as we provide live updates from the fight, below. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More The Devin Haney trap that Vasiliy Lomachenko must avoid to extend glittering career Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings