England coach abused me over Ebola —Eniola Aluko

Footballer Eniola Aluko has spoken publicly for the first time about the “bullying and discrimination” saying she was subjected to by England head coach Mark Sampson in 2014.

The Chelsea Ladies striker – who has 102 caps and scored 33 goals for her country – told the BBC that she suffered “victimisation as a result of me reporting discrimination”.

Sampson made what she says was a “racist comment” before a match against Germany in 2014 about her family in Nigeria being infected with the Ebola virus that left her “shocked and intimidated”.

Aluko, 30, was left out of the England squad to the recently-held 2017 Women’s Euro Cup.

“I found myself next to Mark Sampson and he asked me which family members were coming,” Aluko, a qualified lawyer said.

“I said: ‘I’ve got family coming in from Nigeria.’ And he said: ‘Make sure they don’t come over with Ebola.’ I laughed because I was in shock. I didn’t know what to say.

“Now I’ve been part of many dressing rooms. I’m used to industrial language, used to a bit of banter, a bit of a joke – but that was about my family.”

“That comment could have been said to anybody. I believe it was said to me because I am of African descent and my family is coming over from Nigeria at the time.”

“Yes, I believe it was and again I go back to the definition. I believe it was an unfavourable comment made to me that made me feel completely shocked and intimidated that was said to me because I’m of African descent,” she added.

Sampson vehemently denies saying this.