**Bournemouth defender Adam Smith has given a strongly-worded and passionate interview after Antoine Semenyo reported allegations of racist abuse from a fan during his side's 4-2 defeat to Liverpool.**
The Premier League curtain-raiser was briefly stopped during the first half after Semenyo reported the abuse to referee Anthony Taylor.
Merseyside Police were called on to the pitch at Anfield before play subsequently restarted.
Semenyo was consoled by Bournemouth team-mates and Liverpool defender Milos Kerkez, who played alongside the Ghanaian at the Cherries last season.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola spoke to on-site security at Anfield after the incident.
Semenyo went on to score two goals in the second half to equalise the game at 2-2.
Speaking after the match, captain Smith told Sky Sports of his reaction to the abuse reported by his team-mate and detailed private talks that were held in the dressing room.
"It's totally unacceptable, to be honest," he said. "I'm shocked, to be honest, that it's happened in this day and age. It shouldn't be happening.
"I don't know how Ant played on, to be honest, and came up with those goals. It's totally unacceptable, and I just feel sorry for Ant. Something needs to be done. Taking the knee, doing this, it's having no effect.
"I wanted him to react, because that's what I would have done. I'd have gone straight over there. But this shows what type of man he is, to not react even in the moment it happened, then he reported it to the ref and got those two goals, it shows you the type of guy he is and the character he has.
"I'm more angry, to be honest. Shocked. I said to the referee, I want him \[the fan\] removed immediately, but the ref said we had to go through the process and the police would sort it.
"To be fair, the Liverpool players were very supportive as well to Antoine. I think it was handled in the right way. But yeah, so angry.
"I've just been speaking to some of the lads in there, and I don't know what else we can do. We've been doing it \[taking the knee\] for a long time now, and I just don't know what to say anymore.
"We just feel for Ant and that he's had to take that tonight. It's just shocking."