MANCHESTER CITY ace Raheem Sterling has revealed the advice he would have given his teenage self during a radio interview with England boss Gareth Southgate.
And the forward opened up on the racist abuse aimed at England players at Euro 2020.
As guest editor on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Sterling sat down with Three Lions boss Southgate for an honest and open conversation.
Asked by his manager what advice he would have said to himself as a teenage, the 27-year-old said: “Come off social media, don’t read anything about yourself.
“When I first came into the team, I was getting man of the matches.
“It was all nice – I was playing for England and really excited about that stuff.
“And then [clicks] one thing happens and it’s constant bad, bad, negative, negative.
“When you’re putting this information into your brain, there’s only way you’re going to react.
“You’re going to feel down about yourself, you’re going to start overthinking. The one thing you don’t want your brain to do as a human being – not just a footballer – is to overthink.
“I’d say stay away from looking at anything in regards to myself.”
Sterling, Danny Rose and Callum Hudson-Odoi were racially abused by Montenegro fans in March 2019.
That proved a key moment for Southgate and the England team in their fight against racism, opening up a more honest conversation before deciding as a team to be united in taking the knee at the Euros.
Southgate said: “What it means to be English is different now, we have more dual heritage players who are proud to be English but also proud of their roots, we are a more diverse country now.
“I had a go at Danny for getting booked [in Montenegro] and had to apologise as it emerged what had been going on in the game.
“I didn’t like the fact the boys couldn’t feel they could report it.
“[By taking knee] We could send a message and the lads didn’t realise how powerful it could be.
“A lot of things happened including George Floyd that educated me.”
Sterling continued: “We have a few meetings with the leadership team and Gareth to see our stance. We wanted to do it as a collective.
“A big question was if we would continue it through the Euros. A lot of the time in society we tend to address it for five days, a week then brush it under the carpet until the next incident.
“People are intoxicated and when they are angry they do and say things to one person to insult them as much as possible and be horrible to get a reaction.
“We can’t let that disrespect belittle another human being no matter what their skin tone.
“Frustration should not result in negative comments on skin colour.”
Despite reaching the final and pushing Italy to penalties, the end of the tournament was overshadowed by racism sent to Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after their misses in the shootout.
Southgate said: “That was the first time we had a setback then there was division after 30 days of unity.
“But there was a brilliant counter-reaction where the majority of fans and public stood with Marcus, Bukayo and Jadon.
“But it is sad we have to live through that to make it feel that way.”
The pain of defeat to Italy at the final hurdle this year has only added fuel to the fire in England players’ bellies ahead of next year’s World Cup.
More to follow…
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