FIFA has started investigating the shocking claim of Rhian Brewster that England team-mate Morgan Gibbs-White was racially abused during the Under-17 World Cup final.

The Liverpool forward took the brave decision to speak out last week in an interview with The Guardian about the abuse to which he has been subjected and incidents he has witnessed for club and country. He listed seven incidents, including five in the last seven months.

Two of the incidents happened while on duty for England, one of which came in what should have been the most thrilling moment of his young career when he scored to help England beat 5-2 Spain to become world champions in Kolkata last October.

Rhian Brewster claims his team-mate was racially abused during the Under-17 World Cup final

Brewster alleged that Gibbs-White, the Wolves midfielder, was called 'a monkey' and the Football Association submitted a complaint about the incident. A FIFA spokesperson said the organisation were 'now analysing and gathering evidence.'

It is a small – not to mention belated – step forward by FIFA in what is a hugely important issue. Brewster was critical of football's authorities and insisted there needed to be 'more severe punishments' to deter similar incidents happening in the future.

UEFA, however, remain way off the pace. Their offices in Nyon, Switzerland, have been closed over the Christmas period with phone calls being answered with automated messages. They open for business again on Thursday.

Brewster was one of the stand-out players as England won the Under-17 World Cup in October

Liverpool made two official complaints to UEFA in the space of 10 weeks over incidents that happened in UEFA Youth League games against Spartak Moscow; one involved Bobby Adekanye in Moscow, the other involved Brewster in the return fixture at Prenton Park on December 7.

Brewster needed to be restrained after he alleged that Spartak Moscow defender Lenoid Mironov called him 'a n*****'; Mironov has denied the allegation.

Neither Liverpool nor Brewster have been contacted by UEFA since they made their complaint on the day of the game.