Former Newcastle defender John Beresford has shockingly admitted that he used to make monkey noises at black footballers when he was a young football fan.

The left-back, who is best know for his six-year stint at the Magpies in the mid-1990s, was awarded an MBE in recognition of his anti-discrimination work with Show Racism The Red Card last year.

But the reformed former footballer admitted that in the 1970s, he was part of the problem and would join in with racist chants on the terraces.

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He told ITV: “In the late seventies black players were few and far between, but I would be doing the monkey chants, and I would be shouting abuse, and things like that.

“I was part of a mob culture and it wasn’t a time great for supporters, it was quite volatile.

“When I was younger, I was never told what was right, and what was wrong. Meeting people and understanding how wrong it was, helped change my views.”

The 51-year-old spent nearly 20 years as a professional footballer, starting at Manchester City in the late 1980s before moving to Barnsley, Portsmouth, Newcastle and Southampton.

He also won two caps for England B but was never called up to the senior squad, despite starring as a goalscoring full-back for the Magpies in their “Entertainers” side under Kevin Keegan.

The Show Racism The Red Card campaign is run by Kick It Out, who last season received £655,000 in core funding from the Football Association, Premier League, Football League and the PFA; roughly three months wages for the average Premier League footballer.

From next season the FA has agreed to fund two full-time Kick It Out officers in the grassroots to work with regional FA’s to fight discrimination locally.