A teen soccer star, who was ridiculed over a picture announcing her club signing, clapped back at trolls in the most powerful way.
Skye Stout, a midfielder, was subjected to an outpouring of abhorrent comments after Kilmarnock announced that they had signed her to the Scottish club.
The online abuse was centered around her skin condition and led the team to take down the original social media posts.
Rather than allowing the negativity to get to her, the 16-year-old made a stunning response during Kilmarnock Women's Scottish Women's Premier League 2 match against St Johnstone on Sunday.
The teenager stepped up to take a first-half free-kick, scoring to make it 4-2 for her team. Kilmarnock celebrated her moment of brilliance, posting on X: "37' | SKYE STOUT! Skye fires in a free-kick on the edge of the box!"
In addition to her goal, Skye was also involved in the build-up to Kilmarnock's third goal, providing an assist for team-mate Cara Gray.
The match, which took place at Winton Park in Ardrossan, ended with an emphatic 6-2 victory for Kilmarnock. Skye, who had played 62 minutes before being substituted, was given a warm reception by the crowd.
The trolling surrounding Skye’s unveiling was first brought to light by Team Grassroots, a football organization that called attention to the distressing comments.
They revealed that Kilmarnock had been forced to delete the original posts about Skye’s signing in an attempt to curb the bullying.
"Please send your love and support to 16-year-old Skye Stout from Scotland. And don’t let the ignorant bullies win," the organization wrote. "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," they concluded.
Support for Skye quickly poured in from all corners of the football and sporting community.
Chelsea FC women's club wrote: "The Skye is the limit - congratulations and good luck for the season," while former Liverpool FC star Jamie Carragher said: "Good luck Skye," and former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen added: "BE THE BEST, Skye! Go get it!!!"
Former Scottish First Minister Hamza Yusef voiced his outrage at the trolls, calling their behavior "sad" and "pathetic." He posted on X: "Skye Stout has just signed for Kilmarnock. At 16, she has already achieved more than her trolls ever will. Imagine being a grown man abusing a 16-year-old? What a sad, pathetic, unhappy life these trolls have."
Numerous online users also rallied behind Skye, with one person penning: "Acne can be treated just fine. Unfortunately for the handful of mouth-breathers on here, dim-wittedness is terminal. Best of luck to her."
Through her resilience and excellent performance on the pitch, Stout has proven that actions speak louder than words.