Sterling explains media fightback

Raheem Sterling has explained how a toll of media criticism forced him to speak out over the coverage given to black players.

In December 2018, Manchester City and England forward Sterling drew attention to two articles published by the Daily Mail concerning his club team-mates Phil Foden and Tosin Adarabioyo. The pieces both reported on the then-teenagers buying houses worth £2million, although the headline declared Adarabioyo "splashes out on mansion... despite having never started a Premier League match".

England Under-21 international Foden, who was similarly yet to make his full top-flight debut at that stage, was portrayed comparatively fondly as a "starlet" who "buys new £2m home for his mum". Sterling highlighted the contrast in an Instagram post where he claimed such media coverage "fuels racism" – a day on from himself receiving abuse while playing for City at Chelsea.

"As an individual I feel I can take a lot, I can receive criticism and handle it well. I kind of thrive off stuff like this, not racism but criticism," he explained in a webchat with USA star Megan Rapinoe on his YouTube channel, putting his post into the context of articles that targeted him as a young player. I try to turn the negatives into positives. But when I started to get [criticism] about materialistic things that were being referred back to me and labelling me, that’s what upset me.

"I felt like it was a constant attack for no valid reason and there were times I was really, really low. I wouldn’t even say stuff to my mum or girlfriend. I'd take it in, keep moving, keep moving."