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Ireland's Tyreik Wright pictured after scoring against Bosnia & Herzegovina in a recent U21 European Championship qualifier. INPHO/Aleksandar Djorovic
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Police charge teenager with racially abusing Ireland U21 star Tyreik Wright

The 17-year-old boy is accused of sending an offensive message to the Aston Villa winger via Instagram.

A TEENAGE BOY from the north-east of England will appear in court next week after being charged by police with racially abusing Irish footballer Tyreik Wright.

Wright, who hails from the town of Ovens on the outskirts of Cork city, is signed to Premier League club Aston Villa.

The 20-year-old winger was on loan at League Two club Walsall when he shared screenshots on social media of racist abuse that had been sent to him via Instagram last February.

Following an investigation led by PC Stuart Ward, the UK’s first dedicated hate crime officer within a football unit, West Midlands Police confirmed today that a 17-year-old – who cannot be named due to his age – is accused of sending an offensive message to Wright.

“He has been charged under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Thursday 7 October,” West Midlands Police said in a statement.

Wright, who’s spending the 2021-22 season on loan at Salford City, is a member of the current Ireland U21 squad. He scored earlier this month in a 2-0 win against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the European Championship qualifiers.

Comments are closed as legal proceedings are ongoing.