WREXHAM AFC manager Dean Keates has spoken about the on-line trolls that have threatened to burn down his house and left him questioning whether he should walk away from his job as Wrexham manager.

National League clubs joined the social media boycott at the weekend, and did not post to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, as football united "to say enough is enough with regard to the ongoing and sustained discriminatory abuse received online by players, staff and officials connected to football".

Reds' boss Keates revealed that he has received threats to set fire to his house as well as abuse directed at his children and also trolls hoping he contracted coronavirus.

"When it gets personal, when it was aimed at my family, my kids and people are taking it upon themselves to wish that you catch Covid-19 and that gets you out of a football club, it is hard to take," said Keates.

"I am not going to lie, when it gets to that level when people are saying things about your kids and stuff like that, there are points where I have thought to myself 'is it actually all worth it?'. But I have never shied away from things..

"When that is happening you need to think that humanity needs to be a bit more considerate of people's feelings

"When people are wishing you catch Covid, it is disgusting."

Keates accepts criticism comes with the territory as a football manager but says some of the abuse from trolls has overstepped the mark and he says social media companies must do more.

"There is pressure that comes with being manager of this football club but when it goes above and beyond," said Keates.

"There has been a lot of bad things written about my team and about my group which has been upsetting.

"Football criticism is part and parcel, by 5pm everybody knows your job better than you if it is not going to plan.

"We put in hard work, it doesn't always go to plan but I can't fault anybody's commitment.

"When it goes to the point people are happy to abuse you… I have had people threatening to burn my house down, stuff against my kids, personal insults… I just don't understand it.

"It is disappointing to live in a time where this is happening. Social media companies need to do better."