Raheem Sterling

[Tes]

RAHEEM STERLING PAYS FOR VILLAGE KIDS TO GO TO SCHOOL

By Jerry Lawton  31st January 2013


ENGLAND football star Raheem Sterling is using his new multimillion-pound pay deal to send kids to school back in his native Jamaica.

The 18-year-old star has just signed a five-year £40,000-a-week contract to stay with Liverpool until 2017.

But unlike many young footballers he does not intend to spend all his fortune on mansions, supercars and WAGs.

Instead Raheem is to pay the school fees of all the children in the crime-riddled suburb of Maverley in Jamaica’s capital Kingston, where he grew up.

The winger spent the first five years of his life playing in the poverty-stricken streets before moving to the UK to join his mum Nadine in London. After signing for QPR’s academy at the age of 10 he was snapped up by Liverpool in 2010.

He went on to make his England debut in November’s friendly against Sweden, despite the fact his mum wanted him to represent Jamaica.

But Raheem, who was handed his massive new contract by Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers last month, said playing for England gave him a “better opportunity to progress”.

He said: “My mother agrees with my decision and all is well. But I will be giving back to Jamaica where I began.”

On a recent return trip Raheem, who also plans to set up a football academy in Maverley, was mobbed by schoolchildren who appeared to hang on his every word.

His mum told a Jamaican newspaper she had suggested he went back to his roots to help other youngsters achieve their goals.

Nadine said: “He is definitely a positive influence. He was born and bred in Maverley.

I started suggesting to him it would be great to go back to Jamaica and talk to the kids about working hard for success and not giving up on their dreams.’’


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/296053/

It's great to see when a player uses their 'wealth' for something this constructive.
Also it seems like his Mum is a big and positive influence on him. Long may it continue.

[Gurdeep]

Nice touch Raheem. 

[the dude abides]

nice touch.

PS - cynical dude quietly wonders, how this information got into the public domain.   

[the dude abides]

nice touch.

PS - cynical dude quietly wonders, how this information got into the public domain.   

would help if I could read 

"His mum told a Jamaican newspaper"

[Tes]

nice touch.

PS - cynical dude quietly wonders, how this information got into the public domain.   

I know what you're saying Dude, but I think things like this should be made public.

When the contract discussions were ongoing you could read all sorts of comments about him being greedy and holding the club to ransom etc etc, and we all hate the ridiculous levels of pay in football, so it's always good to hear about players, especially young ones, actually using some of their vast earning capacity to help those far less fortunate than themselves.

I hear John Terry is a regular contributor to the Society of Black Lawyers Female adult entertainment Christmas party fund.

[Ed]

Saw this today:

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/rodgers-plans-raheem-s-summer

Anyway, now I know it's the fashion to think Rodgers knows
what he's doing with young players (having nurtured so many
superstars in his time).

It's not clear to me, however, that there was/is any strategy in place
regards young Raheem. Call me old-fashioned, but a coherent strategy
would be suggested to me by him being available to take part in first team
action circa March. Which does not appear to be the case at all. Now I'm
familiar with the Michael Owen argument (sorry for mentioning him) regards
playing a young lad too much but it strikes me that Rodge aint got a clue
what he's at if he thinks an intense period of 30 1st team games & feverish
speculation followed by months of nothing is good for a kid.

This is all only common sense mind (and the lack of a precedent that I'm
familiar with) but mishandled (and clueless) are starting to gain a foothold
in my thoughts on the matter.

Sure we didn't buy a striker in Summer window but was playing an injured player
and burning out a kid really a sign of coherent long term thinking?? More like
panicked, short-term decision making of a novice imo.