- Sterling was on the receiving end after anti-gun campaigners threw shade on him over his tattoo
- The Manchester City player revealed a tattoo of an M16 assault rifle on his right leg on Instagram
- He said he put it on his right foot because he shot with it and it had a deeper meaning
- Sterling defended his choice of ink and said it was in memory of his father who was gunned down in Jamaica
- The FA threw its weight behind Sterling's heartfelt account and said it fully supported him
The Football Association has shown its support for Manchester City player Rahim Sterling following backlash received after the 23-year old revealed a tattoo of a machine gun on his right leg.
Sterling was accused of displaying pro-violence images with Sun (UK), having ran a story where the founder of Mothers Against Guns Groups, Lucy Cope, condemned the English player for his ink.
Cope, whose son was a victim of gun violence, lost her son in 2012 and said that Sterling should not be allowed to play for England until he gets rid of the tattoo.
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However, according to BBC Sports, Sterling responded via Instagram where he had posted the very same image of his tattoo during training explaining that his tattoo was in memory of his father.
"When I was two my father died from being gunned down to death. I made a promise to myself I would never touch a gun in my lifetime," Sterling wrote in a post seen by BBC.
"I shoot with my right foot so it has a deeper meaning," he further explained mentioning that his body art was still work in progress.
Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane take part in an England training session at St Georges Park on May 28, 2018 in Burton-upon-Trent, England. Photo: Getty Images
An FA spokesman said the FA full supported Sterling and believed the moving story behind him getting the M16 assault rifle tattoo.
"We all support Sterling and acknowledge the honest and heartfelt account he gave, he and the rest of the squad are focused solely on preparing for the World Cup," the statement went on.
Raheem Sterling managed to help the Citizens bag 18 goals and win the 2017/18 English Premier League campaign with a landmark 100 points.
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Raheem Sterling of England during the International Friendly match between England and Italy at Wembley Stadium on March 27, 2018 in London, England. Photo: Getty Images
He will be representing England in the forthcoming World Cup 2018 thanks to his stellar performance and is considered one of England's key players.
Sections of British media have been accused in the past for their negative portrayal of the English football team especially when gearing up towards international tournaments.
It therefore comes as no surprise that such stories would surface in the last few weeks before the start of the World Cup in Russia on Thursday, June 14.
England will kick-start their World Cup on Monday, June 18 against Tunisia, and will later on face Panama and Belgium who are all part of Group G.
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Source: Naija.ng