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ENGLAND - Raheem Sterling, also nicknamed Raheem Park Rangers, because he won football matches on his own, was moulded by his youth coach Steve Gallen, who was confident with what Sterling could achieve.
From leaving France with the nickname “The hated one,” to now scoring three goals in four matches, Sterling’s now England’s star after the depressing Euro 2016.
As the English’ football darling, Sterling is the belle of the ball and the offensive heartbeat of Gareth Southgate’s team.
However, Sterling, as a major advocate for racial equality, has faced sickening prejudice throughout his career.
Receiving racial abuse on his socials almost on a daily basis, Sterling is now being praise by the same group of people who used to critic him and his teammates for taking the knee.
Growing up in the Maverley area of Jamaica before moving to England at the age of five, Sterling is highly sought after by his birth country, not only because of his performance on the field, but also because of his heart off it.
The Jamaican-born announced his plans to launch a foundation for disadvantaged children, saying, “I’m not fussed about having this and that million. What will make me happy is seeing that I am able to help,”
“Even if it’s five people, even if it’s one, at least I have helped someone come out of their bubble and experience that there is something better to England.”
It is without a doubt that the England team are so much better with Sterling; fifteen goals in his last 20 caps are proof on their own.
At the final sound of the whistle, signalling England’s win over Germany, Sterling immediately looked for Kane, considerably England’s most important player, and vice versa.
“He is a fighter, he has got an incredible resilience and hunger,” said Southgate.
“He has developed over the last couple of years this real hunger to score. Even in games earlier in the tournament where the ball flashed across the box, he has been in between the posts,”
“He is finding himself in these areas and, yes, his drive is fantastic. We know the journey he has been on with England and I am so happy for him to deliver the performances he has,
“To deliver them at Wembley will have been really special for him. The goal return is incredible. Absolutely incredible, really. So, please, keep asking the questions (if he’s good enough) because if we cannot motivate him, everyone else will certainly be able to.”
Yet, motivation has never really been an issue and the thinking that he only started to get better in recent years is a myth.
Throughout his time at Liverpool, he would put himself under ‘house arrest’ 72 hours before matches and even moved from the city center in his penultimate season at Anfield to remove any unnecessary distractions.
Although trophies were flowing at Manchester City, Sterling lost his lost his placing towards the end of the season as Pep Guardiola approached a different strategy. Despite being in and out of City, but he is indispensable to England.
However, it should be noted that Guardiola has had positive influence on the roaring star as his improvements have been profound since the Spaniard’s arrival.
The 10-year-old Sterling, who sign off as ‘The Boy from Brent’, turned down moving to Arsenal in favour of QPR.
“He was miles apart from the other kids and that was without any coaching,” said Sterling’s grassroot coach, Clive Ellington.
“At nine, he was kicking a football harder than an adult. He was a sponge, he soaked everything up - he wanted to learn,”
“He was a natural with both feet, which was something you didn’t see in other kids.” - Agencies, 1 July, 2021