Raheem Sterling

Raheem Shaquille Sterling (born 8 December 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Manchester City and the England national team. He received the Golden Boy award for 2014 from a pan-European panel of sports journalists, recognising him as the best under-21 player playing in Europe. A 2015 professional study by Soccerex ranked him as the most valuable young player in Europe, with a value of €49 million.

Born in Jamaica, Sterling moved to London at the age of seven and began his career at Queens Park Rangers before signing for Liverpool in 2010. In July 2015, following a lengthy dispute over a new contract, he was signed by Manchester City in a transfer potentially worth £49 million, the highest transfer fee ever paid for an English player.

He represented England at under-16, under-17 and under-21 level before being capped at full level by the national side in November 2012, and performed at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Early life

Sterling was born in the Maverley district of Kingston, Jamaica, and spent his early years there. At the age of seven, he emigrated to London with his mother, and attended Copland School in Wembley, north-west London. His absent father was murdered in Jamaica when Sterling was nine years old.