Can Raheem Sterling shrug off the abuse as David Beckham did in 1998?
Raheem Sterling has put himself at the eye of the storm but that need not be a bad thing, writes Adam Bate.
When you're the most expensive English footballer of all time, you're up there to be shot at. One can almost sense the nation's casual fans collectively folding their arms: Let's see what you've got then. The more invested are rather less passive when it comes to their views on Raheem Sterling.
The intrigue was evident in the numbers who rushed to watch the video ofSterling's first goal in a Manchester City shirt following the controversial move from Liverpool earlier this month. But the antipathy had been clear moments earlier in the reaction to his initial slip upon receiving possession.
"He got a bit of abuse for his first touch but Raheem's a quality player," said City boss Manuel Pellegrini after seeing his new player in action in Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Roma. "He's going to get a little bit of stick, but I think people will get bored of it when he starts firing goals in."
That might seem a forlorn hope but there is a precedent in an unlikely example. Sterling was a child living in Jamaica when David Beckham became the most vilified player in England for his sending-off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. Things soon got ugly. Effigies were burned.
Beckham was sent off against Argentina during the 1998 World Cup in France
There was already a backdrop of mistrust that had been evident when the Manchester United players were abused by England supporters in a warm-up game against Saudi Arabia, so when England boss Glenn Hoddle talked of Beckham's lack of focus in the tournament build-up, it fed into the stereotype.
Everything added to the public's sense that this was a petulant and pampered celebrity-footballer. It was a myth that Beckham set about exposing upon his return to the Premier League, starting with a last-minute equaliser against Leicester on the opening weekend. The tone was set.
Beckham became the target of abuse from rival supporters in the 1998/99 season
In United's treble-winning season, no outfield player made more than Beckham's 55 appearances and it was a year littered with magical moments. The free-kick against Barcelona. The FA Cup semi-final strike against Arsenal. And the assists. Seven in the Champions League alone before curling in those late crosses in the Nou Camp.
The season culminated in Beckham being named Champions League player of the year and finishing as the runner-up to Rivaldo in the Ballon d'Or voting. Vindication of sorts. "He's incredibly stubborn and single-minded is Becks," claimed Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville in his autobiography.
He’d worked so hard to get where he was and he wasn’t going to be deflected by abuse.
Neville on Beckham
"The word 'courage' is maybe overused in sport, but he showed plenty of it in the way he answered his many critics. He has incredible focus when it comes to achieving his goals. He'd worked so hard to get where he was and he wasn't going to be deflected by abuse." Sound familiar?
It was Sterling booed by England fans in their summer friendly against Ireland in Dublin. "He's so strong-minded, and it will make him a stronger person and make him better," said his then Liverpool team-mate Jordan Henderson. "He deals with it very well. I don't think he lets that bother him at all."
Sterling is driven. He's had to be to get this far. And while his oft-repeated mantra that he is "just focusing on football" might seem trite, that doesn't make it untrue. Sterling left Queens Park Rangers in order to help fulfil his potential and now that journey continues with Manchester City.
Nothing, it seems, will get in his way. It's been a recurring theme throughout Sterling's fledgling career. Asked if the laughing gas drama would distract his young forward, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers was emphatic. "He's a kid that's very strong-willed and strong-minded," said Rodgers.
He's a kid that's very strong-willed and strong-minded.
Rodgers on Sterling
For all the suggestions that Sterling was a victim of his agent's greed, character witnesses points to another explanation. "He's a really strong boy mentally," said Rodgers when the news broke. "What I know of Raheem is that he's a strong boy who is continuing to work hard. It hasn't affected him."
Sterling has some way to go before he can hope to emulate Beckham. Charity foundations, Olympic legacies and proposed knighthoods don't appear to be on the horizon just yet. In fact, a trophy would be a start. Nevertheless, there's a lesson in there somewhere.
Finding yourself at the eye of the storm might bring needless pressure. But top-level athletes have to be able to thrive on that attention. We'll find out plenty about Sterling's character as he runs the gauntlet over the course of the coming season. He might even find out a thing or two about himself.
"If it hadn't have happened, maybe I wouldn't be as strong as I am," Beckham told FourFourTwo in 2006. "[What happened in] 1999 was made more special because of '98, for coming through it." Maybe Raheem Sterling will have cause to feel the same way about putting himself in the firing line this time next year.
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