'Grow up and accept it!' Palmer believes racism victims should concentrate on playing instead of reacting to the abuse

Carlton Palmer believes that footballers who suffer racial abuse whilst playing should just "grow up and accept" the barbs.



The former England international said he was the subject of discriminatory taunts in his professional career, but that he just "laughed it off."



The ex-Sheffield Wednesday defender believes opponents use it merely as a technique to distract an opposing player from playing their normal game.



Get on with it: Carlton Palmer believes footballers should accept racial abuse on-the-pitch

Palmer told talkSPORT: 'If you want to intimidate me about my colour, which has happened loads of times, then I’ll just laugh it off. If I’m stupid enough to get involved with you because you’re calling me a black something or other, I’ll just laugh it off.

'I played at West Ham and they were chucking bananas on the pitch, I ate the bananas. I love them! It doesn’t worry me. I’m not interested in that. I’m just interested in winning the football game.



'If someone is on a football pitch or in a boxing ring or whatever, you’re in there to win. It is part and parcel of it [to try to put someone off]. And you have to grow up and accept that. And anybody who thinks different is lying. It’s been going on for years.



Racially abused: Palmer (right) said he West Ham fans once threw bananas at him whilst playing

Getting stuck in: Palmer (left) made over 500 league appearances in his professional career

'When you say it’s not right, if I can intimidate you by saying something that puts you off your game, why isn’t that right?



'That’s not racism. Not for me, it’s not. It depends on the context. Whenever it’s happened to me, and I’m not mentioning any names, I never thought that person was a racist. If they can get me sent off because I react, that’s different. On the pitch, the laws are different.



'Some people for me, and some players, some black players, have used this as an excuse. And then the ones that have actually been racially abused, those incidents are not being dealt with.'



Part of the game: Palmer believes opposing players may racially abuse an opponent to upset their performance

In agreement: Palmer echoes Sepp Blatter's (pictured) views that a handshake could solve on-pitch racism

On FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s claim that on-pitch racism can be settled with a handshake at the end of the game, Palmer added:

