England: The curious case of Raheem Sterling
By Zaph Hutson
We are now less than 2 weeks away from the World Cup. Most players have been given plenty of space to prepare for this challenge. One striking exception is Raheem Sterling.
The media has chosen a new Diego Costa to scrutinize. While it may be good for clicks, it isn’t good for England’s chances in the World Cup or for fans of the game. Raheem Sterling has been all over the headlines recently and almost all of the coverage has been negative.
No doubt you’ve heard about Sterling’s new tattoo of an assault rifle. It has been criticized by everyone from Piers Morgan to the (infamous) Sun. Morgan said that getting the tattoo was “weird and sad” and demanded that someone “get that gun off his leg.”
The Sun had a front-page spread of the tattoo and in an article stated that Sterling went “too far.” Interestingly, the newspaper praised ‘Deadpool 2’ as “fabulous” and “refreshing” even though it features many scenes of gun violence. Go figure.
After all of this, Sterling has shed more light on the reason for getting the ink. He stated that it was in honor of his father who was killed when he was two years old. In spite of this, the tattoo has still led to a wide range of reactions.
So sick of some areas of the media constantly victimising Raheem Sterling. It's genuinely abhorrent now. So obsessive. Just leave him alone. It's time the FA actually stood up for him and had his back.
— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) May 29, 2018
Couldn’t agree more with you @piersmorgan https://t.co/QU5DBLvw3l
— Frank Bruno MBE 🇬🇧 (@frankbrunoboxer) May 29, 2018
And this hilarious one:
Raheem Sterling in hot water again after The Sun photographs him smiling on the 587th anniversary of Joan of Arc’s death.
— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) May 30, 2018
Under the Microscope
Even more recently, Sterling has been chastised for showing up late to practice for England’s national team. Just like with the tattoo, he had a response to this controversy. After apologizing to his teammates, he stated that he accidentally booked the wrong flight. This led the Daily Mail to say that Sterling is on “thin ice” and is “fortunate to remain on the plane to Russia.”
Many now think that Sterling is being constantly criticized or under a microscope. This criticism ironically is largely coming from English writers. To some, it seems like they are sabotaging their own national team. This certainly looks to be the case especially since Sterling is such a vital part of the team.
Next: England 23-man squad for World Cup
If all of this noise gets to Sterling-or to Southgate-the English national team will suffer. This past season, Sterling was extremely productive with 18 goals and 11 assists for Man City. He will serve as an effective attacker for his country and will be a huge help in the World Cup.
Hopefully, after all this noise, Sterling’s play will not be affected. Looking at his latest Twitter post, this certainly looks to be the case.
Train how you intend, to play! #GodsPlan pic.twitter.com/u6yJvQudcu
— Raheem Sterling (@sterling7) June 1, 2018