Raheem Sterling opens up on ‘difficult’ upbringing as troubled kid before becoming Premier League star

RAHEEM STERLING has opened up on the “great support network” that saw him overcome a troubled childhood to become a Premier League star.

The Arsenal winger, 29, has a foundation in his name that funds knife banks and university places for boys as well as hosting mentoring sessions.

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Arsenal’s Raheem Sterling has enjoyed an incredible Prem career so far[/caption]

Sterling had a troubled upbringing before joining QPR and then Liverpool’s academyNews Group Newspapers Ltd

That foundation is supporting a campaign launched today by Multibank – a nationwide network of donation hubs designed to help those with cost-of-living struggles.

Several weeks ago, Sterling spent three hours with seven young men from Brent’s youth offending service in King’s Cross to act as a mentor, giving advice and telling his own story.

Sterling was born in Kingston, Jamaica before moving to London with his mother age five after his father was tragically murdered three years earlier.

A difficult upbringing – including being displaced by social housing and regular school suspensions – was turned around from the age of nine when he came across Clive Ellington, a volunteer mentor to young boys who introduced Sterling to his first football club: Alpha and Omega FC in Kingsbury, Brent.

Charity Multibank said one million children arrive at school with dirty uniforms as many families now see detergent as a luxury item. 

And some 19 per cent of parents polled by The Hygiene Bank said their kids have missed school in the past year because of shame over unwashed clothes, creating a classroom divide.

Children are also isolated and made fun of with nasty comments due to poor hygiene, teachers say.

On meeting Ellington, Sterling – who also has 82 caps for England – explained: “It was a real difficult period for me in my schooling because it was a time I was getting expelled from school.

“I was moving schools, moving around a lot. [Ellington] was a massive help for me to kind of see a different perspective.

“I always struggled because of circumstances at home that I couldn’t quite understand myself.

“Those actions and things started to play a pattern in my school with my focus, with my behaviour and how I was within the school environment.

“[Ellington] made me see different opportunities. I wasn’t too much into football before that. I wasn’t playing, just at school and stuff at home, but he brought me into it at grassroot level.

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“I was starting to smile again and having a place that I could express myself was a real weight off my shoulder.

“Looking back now, it’s easier to see, but as a child you’re probably not understanding what’s going on, but at the same time, taking in what’s going on.

“So, you can’t quite understand how to interpret that in your speech and how to communicate that with people.”

At 11-years-old, Sterling was picked up by academy systems at Queens Park Rangers and then Liverpool, going on to star for the Reds as a 17-year-old.

After seven years at Manchester City between 2015 and 2022 – winning four Prem titles – he joined Chelsea for around £50m before joining the Gunners on loan this summer.

Sterling continued: “I give a lot of credit to [Ellington]. It is something that is vital for individuals to have a great support network around them.

“Year after year, the progress in my behaviour and in my concentration and just maturing as a young man.”

Meanwhile, England rugby star Maro Itoje, who is also backing the campaign, said: “It’s our duty as a society to look out for those who are coming behind us.”

Entertainment platforms Sky, Prime Video, TNT Sports and TalkSport have also joined forces to support the campaign.

Tottenham are one of the first Prem clubs to also align with the Multibank scheme, focusing on affording basic hygiene products, with a donation bank available at their game against Fulham on December 1.

England star Itoje is also backing the campaign

Donna-Maria Cullen, executive director at Spurs, said the football club has made donations to its local foodbanks ahead of Christmas in support of the most vulnerable within the community.

She said: “We are certain that our football family will unite to ensure young people in our area are able to build their confidence from an early stage in life by having access to basic hygiene products.”

Andy Carpenter, head of the Harlequins Foundation, said: “Given our dedication to working with young people living in the poorest areas to address the deprivation-related challenges they face, it was a no-brainer to be a part of this campaign to support those most in need in our heartlands.”

Multibank said: “With two in three staff expecting the level of hygiene poverty to increase in their school, we endeavour to get soap, shampoo, shower gel, deodorant, toothpaste, and toothbrushes, in the hands of those most in need.”

The Multibank’s 2024 Christmas campaign is designed to raise awareness and respond to rising issues of hygiene poverty. For more information visit: https://themultibank.co.uk/