Raheem Sterling: Tattoo tattle won’t faze me

Raheem Sterling insists scrutiny surrounding his gun tattoo has not negatively affected World Cup preparations, with the England forward instead taking heart from the love showed to him by the public.

Even for a player that has grown up in the spotlight, the past week must have felt intense for the 23-year-old.

Sterling’s unfinished leg tattoo of a gun brought criticism from sections of the media at the start of last week, leading the FA to express its full support of a player who explained it was in tribute to his father after he was gunned down in Jamaica when the forward was just two.