Raheem Sterling grabbed the spotlight during England's Euro 2020 matches, the latest of which was Denmark's semi-final match, when he took a penalty kick in the first extra half, with Harry Kane scoring the winning goal and qualifying for the final.
But many believe that the Manchester City star is not appreciated enough in the English press and by a large group of fans.
A report by the British newspaper "The Independent" stated that the British public likes to call the 26-year-old star "Brent Boy", a phrase that Sterling himself used in one of the tweets, but Jamaicans like to call him "Maverley Boy". .
Jamaican pride
Sterling was born in the Jamaican capital of Kingston, specifically in the Maverley neighborhood, a poor area where violence abounds, and immigrated to England at the age of five with his mother Nadine Clark, and settled in Nesden, northwest of London, where he began his football career.
His father, Philip Slater, was killed in the Waterhouse neighborhood of the capital, Kingston, in 1996 after he was involved in a guerrilla war, and Sterling was only two years old.
A goal for England!!!!!!
Raheem Sterling did not have mercy on Germany and scored the first goal for England 🔥# England_Germany # Euro pic.twitter.com/1aRTqPpEWg
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) June 29, 2021
"Although Sterling plays in England, he represents our community, represents all Jamaicans, no matter where they are in the world," Jamaican Dalton Walters, 28, who lived in the same area as Sterling, told The Independent. He has never forgotten his native Jamaica. We are proud of him, and he is our favorite player."
"England should remember that too," he jokes.
Nathaniel Peet, elected representative of the World Jamaican Diaspora Council in the southern UK, asserts that Stirling “has made the whole country proud of him. Coming from a small island in Jamaica, he represents all the talents of our nation and inspires young and old alike. Raheem is a role model for us.” For young black footballers in the UK, despite the racial negativity associated with black and Asian footballers, it proves that beautiful play can counteract all these perceptions.”
The report notes that Sterling is clearly rooted in that, in addition to buying a home in Jamaica in 2018, he is keen to support several local initiatives and develop sports facilities.
Last year, Sterling gifted each student at his former school, Maverley Elementary and Middle School, a pair of sneakers.
🏴 Raheem Sterling shows his class in the build-up to England's third goal 🔥#EUROSkills |
@HisenseSports |
#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/uRc0WdmTw0
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) July 3, 2021
Keri Taffey, the school's deputy principal, said Rahim was "part of the Maverley family," stressing that students and teachers alike encouraged him at the Euros.
"Most of our students are inspired by Stirling's success," she added.
The English star has close personal relations with the islanders, as he travels there frequently to visit family and friends.
Among Sterling's close friends in Jamaica are Olympic champion Usain Bolt and reggae singer Christopher Martin, who sees Raheem as the secret to England's success at Euro 2020, and is underestimated for his unparalleled talent.
Stirling and the dilemma of discrimination
According to the report, many believe - like Martin - that Sterling does not get the praise he deserves after the matches, and they see that there is some kind of discrimination against him, in the wake of England's victory over Germany in the final price, most English newspapers published a picture of Harry Kane on their front pages. , Although Rahim was the one who scored the goal before the Tottenham star added the second goal.
Martin says: "Any English fan who loves football, no matter what color they are, should be angry. Sterling played and scored goals. I know it's a team sport, but without a good scorer you can't win, and Sterling is that scorer." Kane is also a talented player but he scored one goal, and yet he gets more praise than Sterling. Britain needs to tackle this and do the right thing because it's not fair."
Christopher Johnny Daly, award-winning comedian and entrepreneur says, "Sterling is black and was born in Jamaica, so he won't get the appreciation he deserves from most English newspapers, and a large segment of the English public. There is no need to fake the reality, recent events have proven "Racism and discrimination are still prevalent all over the world. It doesn't matter how much money you have or how skilled you are in football, some people will only look at you through the lens they were programmed to look at."
According to the report, Sterling has developed a lot at the football and personal levels during the past two years, as he was awarded the "Order of the British Empire" due to his efforts in the field of racial equality in sport, and his name was among the list of the most influential black Britons in 2020 and 2021.
Despite his young age, he has become one of the most important pillars of the English national team, and one of the most prominent stars in the Manchester City squad, which includes the elite players of the world.
Some of his England teammates, such as Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, describe him as a role model.