Former Liverpool forward Howard Gayle turned down an MBE nomination on Wednesday because he believes it would be a "betrayal" to his African ancestors.
Gayle, now 58, became Liverpool's first black player when he debuted in 1977.
He earned the nomination for his work in the Show Racism the Red Card campaign, but said he had to decline to be a Member of the British Empire because of how that empire enslaved Africans.
"Most of you who are on my FB page are aware of the work that I do tackling racism and the work I do for Show Racism A Red Card. And for that work yesterday I was nominated for a MBE," he wrote on Facebook.
"Which unfortunately I had to decline the nomination for the reason that my ancestors would be turning in their graves after how Empire and Colonialism had enslaved them.
"This is a decision that I have had to make and there will be others who may feel different and would enjoy the attraction of being a Member of the British Empire and those 3 letters after their name, but I feel that It would be a betrayal to all of the Africans who have lost their lives, or who have suffered as a result of Empire."