Check Raheem Sterling Biography & Rise to Fame – From Jamaica to London information

Raheem Sterling is a prominent English footballer who currently plays for Chelsea and the England national team. Sterling’s life and career have been incredibly interesting, and he remains one of the most popular English footballers of modern times. In this article, we take a look at Sterling’s upbringing and career, as well as what he has accomplished outside of football too.

Tough Childhood in Jamaica

Sterling was born in 1994 in Kingston Jamaica, in the rough Maverley District.The region was known for gang violence, and Sterling had personal experience of this violence at the tender age of two, when his father was gunned down. This prompted his mother, who had been a member of the Jamaican national athletics team, to emigrate to England in search of a better life for her and her children.

Moving to London and Early Footballing Career

Sterling joined his mother in London when he was five years old. He attendedschool at Vernon House, a special school which gives personalized attention to children with behavioral issues. It was there that his football talents first became apparent.

Sterling played formany years for the local youth team called Alpha & Omega, and eventually signed with Queens Park Rangers at the tender age of 10. His precocious skill and potential for future development were evident from an early age, and he was scouted by several top-flight clubs, including Chelsea, Fulham, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City (three of which he would eventually play for!).

Ultimatelyhe was picked up by Liverpool in 2010 for a reported fee of £450,000. He played initially for the Liverpool youth team and made his U18 debut against Everton. In March 2012, after two years of playing in the youth team, Sterling made his professional debut when he came on as a substitute against Wigan Athletic in the English Premier League. He was just 17 years old at the time.

From this point, he started getting more opportunities from the substitute bench, and was soon a regular in Liverpool’s starting XI. He got to experience many mnf matches. In total, he scored 23 goals in 129 appearances for Liverpool and was an integral part of their team for almost four years.

Rise to Prominence at Manchester City

But it was at Manchester City where Sterling would truly flourish. He signed with the club in 2015 for an initial £44 million, with £5 million in add-ons. At the time, this made him the most expensive English footballer of all time.

Despite the pressure and expectations, Sterling delivered.He had a successful 7-season career with Manchester City during which he scored 131 goals in 339 appearances across all competitions, including a 31-goal season in the 2019-2020 campaign.

During his time with City, the team won four EPL titles, one FA Cup, four League Cups, and the FA Community Shield. The only club trophy he has not managed to bag is the UEFA Champions League.

Before the start of the current EPL season, Sterling signed with Chelsea for £47.5 million. His form and style of play continue to dazzle and he has also been a prominent member of the England national team for many years. He currently stands at 77 caps for England and has scored 19 goals for his country. This has included appearances at the 2014 World Cup, 2018 World Cup, and multiple UEFA Euro tournaments.

Other Endeavors

Sterling has had some controversy in his personal life. In 2013, he was charged with assault against a woman, though the charge was later dropped, and then later that same year he appeared in court on a charge of assault on a former girlfriend. He was acquitted, but such incidents are always pounced upon by the tabloid newspapers in the UK, and his reputation suffered.

However, those days are long behind him and he has done much since then to enhance his reputation ‒ so much so that he was awarded an MBE in 2023 for services to racial equality in sport. In both 2020 and 2023 he made the Powerlistof the 100 most influential Britons of African or Afro-Caribbean heritage.

Sterling has made various charitable donations, such as when he donated a substantial amount to those affected by the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire. He has also created a foundation in his name which aims to help educate and empower youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Clearly, Sterling has come a long way and has had to overcome great adversity throughout his life. He remains a world-class footballer in both the EPL and for the England national team.