A man has pleaded guilty to sending “totally abhorrent” social media messages to England defender Jess Carter during last summer’s Euros.

Nigel Dewale, of Great Harwood in Lancashire, entered a guilty plea to one charge of malicious communications and possession of a weapon in a private place at Blackburn Magistrates Court on Friday.

The admission comes after the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) launched an investigation last July into abuse directed at Carter.

Detectives traced some of the messages to Dewale's home and he was arrested on August 28 and subsequently charged.

Dewale is due to be sentenced on March 25 at Blackburn Magistrates Court.

Cheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the football policing lead for the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: "Everyone is responsible for what they do and say, and posting a message on social media is no different.

"In this case, Dewale sent hateful and malicious messages, thinking that he would be able to hide behind his account name.

"His comments were totally abhorrent, they caused emotional distress for Miss Carter and her family and I welcome the guilty plea entered today.

"We have been clear that hate crime online or in person, is not acceptable and as we have shown in this case, you cannot hide behind a social media profile to post vile comments and spread hate."

Carter spoke to ITV News last year about the impact the abuse had on her.

"It makes you feel really small," she said.

"It makes you feel like you're not important, that you're not valuable.

"It makes you second guess everything that you do - it's not a nice place to be. It doesn't make me feel confident going back onto the pitch. My family was so devastated by it as well and so sad."

England went on to lift the Euro 2025 trophy in Switzerland, with Carter starting and playing the whole game of the final penalty shoot-out win over Spain.