BLACKBURN Rovers midfielder Jason Lowe has been chosen as one of 20 young footballers to spearhead a new campaign against racism.

The Kick It Out organisation is marking its 20-year anniversary and has launched a ‘Season of Action’ to help remove racism from football.

A new initiative has been announced as part of that scheme, entitled the Next 20, which will see 20 stars of the future helping to raise awareness of Kick It Out’s work.

The players come from the Premier League, Football League and Women’s Super League.

Among those included are Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku, currently on loan at Everton, as well as Arsenal’s Carl Jenkinson and Norwich’s Nathan Redmond.

The 20 players will take part in a varied set of activities within the community to help Kick It Out.

Former England under 21 international Lowe, who recently signed a new long-term deal with Rovers, said: “I am strongly against discrimination in football and Kick It Out has been at the forefront of tackling this issue for 20 years.

“I hope I can do my bit by promoting the importance of tolerance and respect.”

Lord Herman Ouseley, chairman of Kick It Out, is thankful that Lowe and a host of others have decided to back the Next 20 programme and help progress the work of Kick It Out.

He said: “We have had great ambassadors over our 20 years of campaigning and we believe this generation of young footballers will help us in rooting out discriminatory behaviour in the game.”

The Next 20: Carl Jenkinson (Arsenal), Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal Ladies), Danny Rose (Barnsley), Jason Lowe (Blackburn Rovers), Dylan Lall (Brighton), Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea, on loan at Nottingham Forest), Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea, on loan at Everton), Callum Wilson (Coventry), Toni Duggan (Everton Ladies), Andre Wisdom (Liverpool, on loan at Derby), Daniel Powell (MK Dons), Gael Bigirimana (Newcastle), Nathan Redmond (Norwich), Jamaal Lascelles (Nottingham Forest), Michael Harriman (QPR, on loan at Gillingham), Harry Maguire (Sheffield United), Jack Butland (Stoke, on loan at Barnsley), Ben Davies (Swansea), Wesley Foderingham (Swindon), Romaine Sawyers (Walsall).