Aston Villa Tyrone Mings highlights the importance of taking a knee

Tyrone Mings

says Premier League players should not give up taking a knee before games and does not agree with those who say the protest has run its course.

and England defender Mings told 

: “If we’re completely honest, I haven’t heard one substantial argument as to why we should stop it. I’ve heard it’s lost its power and I think, who have you spoken to, to say that it’s lost its power?

“I completely get that and I had to ask myself the same question, is it still having the desired impact? It was only by speaking to people out in the field and out into society that I really got the feel of the size and importance of what we’re doing.”

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Wilfried Zaha

has become the first Premier League player not to take a knee before games, describing the gesture ‘degrading’ and wanted real action against racism.

Mings says Zaha’s own stance must be respected but he feels players should not miss the opportunity to fight racism.

“Obviously Zaha has come out as the first player to stop doing it and any person who has a passionate stance on what we’re doing at the moment should be respected.

“The only thing I would say to that is that we have never had this opportunity as a group of black players. Look at players that have come before us. Never would they have had the opportunity for the Premier League to get behind them so strongly and so passionately to back their anti-racism message.

“I think that is something so powerful and we shouldn’t be getting away from that any time soon.”

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