I've mentioned this before, but no apologies for doing so again ;
I have the up most respect for Raheem Sterling for the way he conducted himself a few seasons ago when we beat Spurs 4-1 at home.
For those who don't know..or have conveniently forgot..our player was attacked outside the ground ,only 2 hours before kick off, by a racist utd fan who assaulted him and verbally abused him and his family. The attack was premeditated, and the players right foot was targeted,just before a crucial league game....
Fittingly the utd scum was sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
Rather than let this unsavoury incident, which must have shook him up,put him off his game , he went out and scored two goals,was man of the match , and didn't react ,after violent tackles from Kane and Walker ,still at Spurs at the time. Both his England colleagues must have known about Sterling being the victim of an assault before kick off,yet they still sought to carry out two dangerous challenges.
Sterling didn't react.
Man of the match.
For me, that is one of the greatest examples of a footballer just getting on with his job,in the face of extreme provocation.
I doubt many other pros past or present would have shaken off being assaulted before kick off and proceeded to be man of the match thereafter.
Sterling biggest " crime" is leaving Liverpool for another challenge,
A move that didn't bring Kevin Keegan, to name just a single example ,any spiteful and venomous comments.
Some players never ever get the atrocious barrage of abuse that Sterling has had to endure throughout some of his career,but to balance that, most players will not have seen his earning capacity or the medals / trophies too.
Certainly a character who divides opinion.