Yedlin: My grandfather would fear for my life if I still lived in U.S.

United States international DeAndre Yedlin has revealed his grandfather messaged him to say he would fear for the soccer player's life if Yedlin still lived in the U.S.

Protests have been held throughout Yedlin's homeland and across the world since George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed May 25 after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Along with the police shooting of Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a raid in Kentucky, Floyd's death reignited anger over police brutality in the U.S. and highlighted the country's continued problems with anti-black racism.

Yedlin left his hometown club, the Seattle Sounders, to join Tottenham Hotspur in January 2015. He moved to Newcastle United 19 months later.

"A couple days after George Floyd's death, my grandfather texted me and told me he's glad that I am not living in the U.S. right now because he would fear for my life as a young black man," Yedlin tweeted. "As days have passed, this text from my grandfather has not been able to leave my mind."

Yedlin continued:

He was born in 1946, lived through the civil rights movement, lived through some terribly racist times in U.S. history, and now 70 years later he STILL fears for the life of his black grandchild, in the country he and his grandchild were born in, in the country his grandchild represents when he plays for the United States, in the country his grandchild represents when he's playing in England.

I remember being in elementary school, and having to recite the Pledge of Allegiance which ends, '... with liberty and justice for all.' Every American needs to ask themselves, is there 'liberty and justice for all?' If their answer is yes, then they are part of the problem. In no way are we asking black lives to matter more than white lives, all we're asking is we are seen as equal, as more than 3/5 of a man, as humans.

My heart goes out in solidarity to George Floyd, his family, and all of the countless number of victims that have had their lives taken at the hands of meaningless police brutality.

Newcastle players took a knee during Tuesday's training session in an expression of solidarity.

Players and clubs throughout soccer have spoken out in support of the Black Lives Matter human rights movement in recent days. Manchester United's Paul Pogba wrote a message on Instagram that said in part, "Violent acts of racism can no longer be tolerated. I can't tolerate. I won't tolerate. We won't tolerate. Racism is ignorance. Love is intelligence."