Footballer Skye Stout had the perfect response to the vile social media trolls who mocked her over her skin.
The young athlete recently signed her first professional contract with the Scottish club Kilmarnock.
To announce their new player, Kilmarnock posted a photo of Stout wearing their blue-and-white kit but were forced to take it down following a wave of online bullying in the comments about her appearance.
After the news spread online, public figures such as former Scottish First Minister Hamza Yusef and Scottish footballer Ally McCoist voiced their support for the midfielder.
Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool player, congratulated Stout on her achievement and wished her the best of luck in her professional career.
Image credits: Kilmarnock Football Club
Image credits: Teamgrassroots_
Stout, who previously played for Celtic, brilliantly silenced her critics on her debut on Sunday (August 17) by scoring a stunning free-kick in a 6-2 win over St. Johnstone.
The star also contributed to another goal, providing an assist for teammate Cara Gray.
After playing for 62 minutes, she was subjected to warm applause from the fans.
The 16-year-old footballer scored a brilliant free-kick during her Kilmarnock FC debut
Image credits: KilmarnockWFC
Image credits: KilmarnockWFC
The club’s video of the free-kick went viral, garnering half a million views and over 23,000 likes.
“Banger of a free kick, well done Skye!” wrote one supporter.
“As she said she’ll let the football do the talking. More power to her,” shared another user.
A third commented, “I absolutely love this! What a goal!”
“The work-rate was excellent on a very warm day,” he said. “The girls continued on from the work we’ve been doing in pre-season.
“My only criticism at half-time was that it could’ve been even more. We had a little blip after half-time so that’s something to work on. But overall it was a comfortable win – credit to all the girls.”
The news of Stout’s signing was overshadowed by the criticism she faced over her skin condition, which is linked to acne.
The club initially posted a photo of Stout in the team kit but removed it due to a surge of hateful comments
Image credits: KilmarnockWFC
Football organization Team Grassroots shared that Kilmarnock was forced to delete the posts about the young player and encouraged people to leave supportive comments to counter the hate.
“Yesterday, the official page of the Scottish club Kilmarnock women’s team announced that the club had signed a contract with 16-year-old midfielder Skye Stout,” they posted on X.
“A grassroots player signing her first pro contract, should have been a moment to cherish for her, however, Skye was forced to endure ridicule from ignorant and disrespectful fans who began to humiliate her over her facial acne.
“Things escalated to the point where the club decided to delete all posts mentioning Skye Stout in an effort to stop the bullying from haters.”
The post quickly went viral on social media, amassing over 7 million views.
Image credits: KilmarnockWFC
Among those who congratulated Stout was former Scottish First Minister Hamza Yusef, who called the trolls “sad” and “pathetic.”
“Skye Stout has just signed for Kilmarnock. At 16 she has already achieved more than her trolls ever will,” the politician wrote.
“I played down there for three years and it was three of the best years of my footballing life and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It’s a fantastic club with great people.
“You do well Skye, enjoy your football and hopefully one of these days I’ll get a chance to come and see you play. Good luck.”
Stout also assisted her teammate Cara Gray in another goal during the same match
Image credits: KilmarnockWFC
Meanwhile, others recalled how insecure they had felt about their acne as teenagers and congratulated Stout for staying professional through it all.
“I’m a Kilmarnock fan who suffered so badly with skin issues in my teens and early 20s that I didn’t want to leave the house, so major kudos to Skye for not letting it hold her back. She’s worth so much more than any of the faceless online trolls,” one woman wrote.
Based in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Stout’s club competes in the Scottish Women’s Premier League, the highest level of league competition in women’s football in Scotland.
Netizens congratulated Stout on her goal and assist in her debut match
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