After scoring his second goal against Czech Republic on Friday night, Raheem Sterling lifted his shirt to reveal a tribute to a Crystal Palace youth player who had recently passed away with leukaemia.
Sterling had been helping the family with their efforts to find a stem cell donor for Damary Dawkins. He underwent the surgery shortly before Christmas, but passed away after relapsing twice.
Dawkins' father, Tony, commented on the tribute saying it was "a pleasant surprise".
He continued by saying, "I knew that they used to speak because [Sterling] came down to the hospital, they played pool together and apparently they swapped numbers.
"It was very, very touching and fitting. I know Damary touched his heart."
Raheem Sterling also commented on his tribute by saying that "I thought I had to do something to try to give his family something to smile about".
March 22, 2019