This should be a non-story but it isn't.
Sterling is quite obviously to anyone who has paid attention, a lovely lad. I've seen two journos in a short space of time comment on how funny he is and you only have to see that Aldi add that is doing the rounds to spot potential talent for comedy (be interesting to see if Aldi pull the ad now).
One can be pretty sure the last thing Raz approves of is gun crime (does gun crime in this country often involve assault rifles?); regardless, it's just a drawing, a piece of body art, apparently unfinished, that no one needed to highlight - it could just be.
As to the whole role model bit. My view is if you want to be a role model to kids, don't have any tattoos. I'm not really a fan, I can count the number of them that I actually thought were OK on one hand BUT they are fashionable and if responsible adults choose to have them, that is their prerogative: it's their body.
In a world where Guns n Roses are one of the biggest acts on the planet, the idea of someone have a rifle drawn on them being controversial is farcical to me (I'd bloody love it if he had a rose drawn around it) but I am one of those who think political correctness has gone too far and that some are far too easily offended (on behalf of the rest of us).
Whatever you think of this tattoo, the persecution of Raheem Sterling has gone too far and we know who the prime offenders are. I support free speech but I don't support invasion of privacy for things that are plainly not in the public interest so I would support the club banning that shower from the Etihad. However, I can see why the club might feel that would create more problems than it solved.