From a footballer being condemned by English tabloid media, to one of the starboys of Euro 2020: A look at how Raheem Sterling was able to ignore unfair criticism from journalists and turn it in to a net positive.
Raheem Sterling's goal against Germany in the Euro 2020 tournament proved decisive as England battled for a 2-0 victory in Wembley in front of 40,000 raucous fans. His link up play with the likes of Luke Shaw on the left seemed too much for Joachim Low's side to handle.
His plaudits on the pitch were rewarded with high media praise, with The Times dubbing the Man City winger as 'England's most important player', which is some accreditation when you consider the star-studded talent in the squad.
However, with all this praise that came alongside the success of his performance, there was a bitter taste in the mouth about the seemingly disingenuous adoration that some media companies had, namely The Sun and The Daily Mail. Some of the frankly abhorrent, racist articles that had been published by Murdoch's empire attacked Sterling's family and his personality. After the win against Germany however, it was almost like this had all been forgotten.
I couldn't help but feel as if the only reason that newspapers like The Sun and The Daily Mail are giving kudos to Sterling is because of his performance on the pitch. Any external factors, such as his relationships off the pitch, have been attacked by the tabloid media which, as Sterling puts it, 'fuels racism' within the fans as stated in an interview with the BBC.
Sterling has already been critical of the way newspapers portray young black footballers - with his comparison of the presentations of Tosin Adarabioyo and Phil Foden both buying their mothers' houses. There was a stark difference in the framing of both players buying a gift for their maternal figures, as Tosin suffered from negative, aggressive connotations within headlines, suggesting that there is one rule for black players and another for white players within English tabloid media.
Fast-forward to today, and the attitude towards this sort of reporting is seemingly changing. But for how long will they withstand this kind of false adoration for Sterling? Will it cease to exist if his on-field performances begin to dwindle? A part of me seems to think so.
Regardless of this fact, most fans (and myself) view Sterling in high-regard as he continues to lead his team towards the final. More importantly however, he strives to be a role-model for young black footballers who may experience this sort of tabloid racism as they flourish in their careers.
One thing that I hope is remembered is how Sterling and other black footballers were treated by newspapers such as The Sun, and how they were able to rise to stardom despite the unnecessary racism that they experienced during their growth. That's why he will remain a hero for years to come, for myself and many others across the world.
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