Former England striker Eni Aluko has welcomed winning the first stage of a High Court libel claim against Joey Barton but says her broadcasting career has been damaged by the ongoing legal battle.
The 38-year-old told BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour that her work as a pundit has suffered regardless of the case's outcome.
"This happens in lots of industries - when women stand up for themselves, their career takes a hit," Aluko said.
A judge has ruled that posts made by former footballer Barton on social media in January 2024 were defamatory.
Former England striker Eni Aluko has welcomed winning the first stage of a High Court libel claim against Joey Barton but says her broadcasting career has been damaged by the ongoing legal battle
PA
Barton had claimed Aluko's father was financially corrupt and accused her of "using the race card".
Aluko revealed she has experienced a significant reduction in broadcasting opportunities during the legal proceedings.
"I've been doing broadcasting for 11 years. I'm not new to it. And in the last 18 months I've done the least TV I've ever done," she stated.
"That's not a feeling, that's an opinion. That's a fact. So I think people can draw their own conclusions from that."
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Eni Aluko played for the likes of Juventus and Chelsea during her football careerGETTYThe former striker has built a substantial broadcasting career over more than a decade before experiencing this recent decline in on-screen appearances.
Aluko described facing severe online abuse following Barton's social media posts.
"There's 45 tweets that Joey Barton has tweeted about me," she revealed.
The impact extended beyond digital spaces into her daily life.
"What that does is it impacts you in real life, where it just feels like a wave of abuse and it feels like you're in a fishbowl," Aluko explained.
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"For the first week I was disguising myself and some people think that's over the top, but that's genuinely the impact it had on me."
She admitted the abuse has made her more self-conscious in public.
Aluko highlighted the structural challenges women face in football broadcasting.
"There is a double standard where there is still a limited amount of opportunities for women, female broadcasters, both in the men's and the women's game," she said.
"We're still competing for two or three seats maximum, which includes the presenters."
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Aluko also suggested there are those who actively oppose female representation in football media.
"What the Joey Bartons, and some male football fans, want is for women to get off the TV," she stated.
The case remains ongoing, with 42-year-old Barton yet to respond to the ruling on the meaning of his posts.
He could still appeal against the decision.
Alternatively, Barton may choose to defend his statements if the case proceeds to trial.
Joey Barton has refused to apologise for his comments on Eni Aluko
PAThe ruling represents only the first stage in what could be a protracted legal process.
Despite winning this initial victory, Aluko has emphasised that the professional consequences she's experiencing are already significant.
"It means that I'm more self-conscious," she said.
"I don't feel that I can just go out and be free to do what I do. For the first week I was disguising myself and some people think that's over the top, but that's genuinely the impact it had on me."
