On Monday Night Football this evening Jamie Carragher gave a suggestion as to why Raheem Sterling gets such rough treatment in the English media.
Carragher was a team mate of Sterling in the last years of his career, and spoke about the massive difference between the perception of the forward and what he is like in real life:
The perception is of a young, flash, black kid from London. I think a lot of it comes from that he moved on from Liverpool, the perception that he is more interested in cars, jewellery and nightclubs more than his actual football. Anyone reading that, anyone writing that, I can assure you that is absolute garbage.
Raheem Sterling is a mouse - I can't even remember speaking to him at Liverpool. He was so quiet, he got on with his training. He wasn't loud in the dressing room. He wasn't late, he wasn't going on nights out. He was just a young kid who was very humble.
Carragher also stated that there is no doubt a 'racist undertone' in the media to the coverage of Sterling, and that the ill-will was generated towards the forward following his acrimonious transfer from Liverpool to Man City back in 2015:
I go back to the leaving Liverpool thing. Liverpool and other clubs are seen as the establishment and probably Chelsea ten years ago, certainly Man City nowadays are seen as the new kids on the block, they're throwing the money about. I think when he made that move, I think a lot of it (the negative press) come from that.
The former Liverpool centre back went on to say that he himself was critical of Sterling during this period and that the player has struggled to shake the impression that was created of him during that time:
I was very critical of Raheem Sterling at the time I thought he made mistakes maybe more the people around him... he's never been able to shake that off this tag of being more interested in money, different things and flashness. And the fact that his life is put out there, he buys a house for his mother, he might buy a car he might buy a ring. That is always the story around Raheem Sterling.
.@Carra23 talks Raheem Sterling and stamping out racism in football.
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