Ainsley Maitland-Niles Declines to Take the Knee in Premier League Anti-Racism Initiative

Everton player Ainsley Maitland-Niles opted not to take the knee ahead of his team's match against Chelsea on Saturday, an act that occurred as the Premier League launched its "No Room For Racism" initiative. Maitland-Niles was the sole player on the field not to participate in the pre-match gesture.

The reasons behind Maitland-Niles' decision are not yet public. However, some footballers have previously voiced concerns that the act of kneeling has lost its impact. In 2021, former Crystal Palace player Wilfried Zaha described the gesture as "degrading," and Ivan Toney stated that players were being "used as puppets."

"I feel like taking the knee is degrading, because growing up my parents just let me know that I should be proud to be Black no matter what and I feel like we should just stand tall," Zaha had said.

Players and staff are scheduled to have opportunities to perform the kneeling gesture during the league's "No Room For Racism" match rounds in October. The Premier League has reiterated its "commitment to tackling discrimination and highlight the importance of diversity in football."

The practice of taking the knee began in the UK in 2020, following the death of George Floyd in U.S. police custody, which galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement. In August 2022, the Premier League altered its policy, consulting with players to limit the gesture to specific "No Room For Racism" match weeks rather than before every game.

Last year, the England women's national team, the Lionesses, chose not to kneel before their Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy. This decision followed racist abuse directed at defender Jess Carter on social media. Captain Lucy Bronze commented at the time that the anti-racism message was not "as strong as it used to be" in the wake of the abuse directed at her teammate.