Raheem Sterling has called on society to”wake up” and realise footballers have been”human beings simply doing their jobs” as gamers are still abused.
A number of players have been targeted on the internet after missing this year to penalties.
Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku was racially abused by Cagliari fans during a Serie A match a week, also Sterling says things should change.
He told Sky Sports News:”It’s simple to say what happens next but there is a good deal of people behind a computer monitor. Those are those which are disappointing and feel they could get away with stuff like this.
“We’re in 2019 and we’re still talking about this. I can not say I have the answer to prevent it but.
“The people doing it need to awaken and understand it’s a new era and discrimination isn’t something anybody should face.
“We will need to grow up as a society and realize we are just out here in our tasks. We’re human beings and we have feelings.
“it is a touchy subject but I can’t tell you I have the specific answer. However, as a society we will need to perform better and appreciate each other more.”
Sterling was vocal in calling out racism and known to be handed a stadium ban when he was one of a number of England players to become abused there last season.
Discussing before the 4-0 triumph over Bulgaria of England on Saturday, Marcus Rashford predicted on networking companies to do much more to prevent their users racially abusing others online.
“For me personally, it’s too easy to do anything you prefer on the world wide web,” Rashford said. “Any of us now could go on and create stories and write what we need under anyone’s posts and nobody would ever understand.
“The remedy is not difficult to figure out – if you had to show identification to create an account that means everybody can only have one account.
“For me, there’s hundreds of thousands of people who use my title on social networking and they can write what they like.
“But folks are speaking out and people are listening hopefully we could put it directly.”