Nathaniel Chalobah says he has experienced racism during his playing career and believes more needs to be done to tackle the issue.

The Watford midfielder’s comments come in the wake of Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling being subjected to abuse at Chelsea.

Sterling, who later took to Instagram to accuse the media of fuelling racism against black players after Saturday’s game, has since told the police he was racially abused.

Chelsea have suspended four supporters and are continuing to investigate the incident, but Chalobah says the events at Stamford Bridge prove more needs to be done to counter racism in football.

“I have had it before,” Chalobah told the Evening Standard. “I would not say it is regular, like every game, but it does happen and it is happening. More has got to be done in terms of how things are dealt with.

“It is not right. We are just here to do our job, play football and put a show on for people who watch the games. It is not fair to leave the game being racially abused. Everyone can see that it is still in the game.”

Having played alongside Sterling with England, Chalobah knows the character of the former Liverpool man well.

He says it was hard to watch someone he knows suffer the abuse Sterling was subjected to, and doubled down on his stance that a firmer hand needs to be taken against racism.

He said: “Knowing Raheem personally, it is horrible, horrible he had to go through that. It is just not right and needs to be kicked out.

“There are some very low people out there who want to say hurtful things and do not care who it upsets.”

The incident at Stamford Bridge is the latest in a spate of alleged racism in the top tier of English football, after a banana skin was thrown at Arsenal forward Pierre Emerick Aubameyang during the North London derby.

The PFA have echoed Sterling’s views on the way he has been portrayed in the media and are also demanding clubs take greater action against racism.