The Duke of Cambridge, president of the FA, has condemned the “outrageous” racism in modern football, saying he is “fed up” with the damage it is doing to players and fans.

The Duke, a football fan whose ongoing Heads Up campaign is aimed at improving mental health, said he was determined to “do something” about the scourge of racism affecting the game.

Saying it previously felt like the issue was improving, he spoke of his disappointment at recent shocking accounts of explicit abuse and called for immediate change.

During a visit to Hendon Football Club, which is considered a beacon of good practice for its projects to help those with mental health issues, he raised the issue of racism directly with coaches.

Asking how they had noticed racism was playing into the mental health issues of players at all levels of the game, he suggested it was still a challenge for high profile players to discuss the abuse they were subjected to.

“It’s quite hard,” he said. “People are now talking a little bit about mental health issues but I imagine talking about racism is still quite a difficult subject, especially when it’s happening in such a public fashion with Premier League matches or Champions League.”