Former England footballer Eni Aluko has said she is considering taking legal action after the abuse that followed social media insults made by Joey Barton left her frightened to leave home.
Aluko, 36, who made more than 100 appearances for the Lionesses before retiring in 2020 and moving to punditry, said in a 15-minute video posted on Instagram: “I’ve been scared this week.
“Over the past week, I have taken advice from lawyers and a course of action has now been decided on.”
Former Manchester City player Barton compared Aluko and fellow ITV pundit Lucy Ward to serial killers Fred and Rose West, as well as dictators Joseph Stalin and Pol Pot, following the Crystal Palace-Everton FA Cup third-round tie earlier this month.
He has been widely criticised for his comments targeting female sports broadcasters in recent months.
Aluko, who was made an MBE in November, said: “I’ve genuinely been scared this week. I didn’t leave my house until Friday and I’m now abroad.
“Online abuse has a direct impact on your safety and how you feel and how safe you feel in real life.
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“I’ve felt under threat this week. I’ve felt like something is going to happen to me. And I don’t say that for anyone to feel sorry for me – I say that for people to understand the reality and the impact that hate speech has, the impact that racism has, the impact that sexism has, the impact that misogyny has on all of us females in the game, in sports broadcasting.”
While Aluko did not mention Barton by name, she accused the once-capped England midfielder of being sexist, racist and misogynistic and of having a “violent history”.
“If you come out and are racist, or sexist or misogynistic and threaten people online, there are laws for that, that govern that behaviour,” she said.
She added: “There are consequences for that. And over the past week I’ve taken advice from lawyers and a course of action has now been decided upon.”
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Recalling the case of Caroline Flack, Aluko warned the dangers of online abuse could lead to a female broadcaster taking their own life.
She said: “They’re creating a culture where people don’t want to go to work, people don’t want to leave their house, people feel under threat. Obviously, there’s a big impact on mental health as well.
“My fear, actually, is that the next time this happens, if we don’t really put a stop to this, is that that girl or that woman kills herself.
“I’m not being hyperbolic about that when I say that it’s happened. Caroline Flack, God rest her soul, killed herself, largely because of the online abuse that she was getting.”
ITV criticised Barton for his “vindictive remarks”, while sports minister Stuart Andrew said they “opened the floodgates for abuse”.
