Much maligned by certain sections of the British press, Manchester City's Raheem Sterling left a lasting impression on boxing promoter, Eddie Hearn.
An isolated target for unwarranted attacks, it can often appear that anything Sterling does - however mundane - is suitably offensive to initiate an unflattering write-up from unsavory members of the tabloid trade.
Enjoying a stellar season as City broke the 100-point mark in sealing Pep Guardiola's first Premier League title with the club, Raheem Sterling nevertheless remained prone to attack.
Eddie Hearn, however, is not so convinced by this portrait of Sterling. Speaking of the young English forward, Hearn recalled an interaction he and his family had with Sterling while on holiday, shortly after England's exit from the 2018 World Cup.
Travelling with friends and their families, Hearn was stunned by Sterling's generosity of time. Having never previously met the footballer, two of the young lads travelling with Hearn recognised him immediately:
Let me tell you about Raheem Sterling.
My friend has two boys and they were like, 'that's Sterling!' I was thinking, it's not Sterling, he ain't going to be just here. Anyway, I noticed from hit tattoo funnily enough that it was.
In the end, I went over there, and he played football with these two kids, on the beach. They were doing kick-ups for five minutes or so, and I was like, 'alright lads, come on,' and he was saying, 'no, no, no it's fine.'
A beautiful gesture from the former Liverpool man, Hearn was struck by a "first impression" that appears to have certainly lasted.
You can watch Hearn retell the story himself below.
To all you media outlets that like to dig out @sterling7 constantly, let’s see if you print this! ... I didn’t think so! 👋 from @EddieHearn today. pic.twitter.com/tHMLlS1o6a
— Kugan Cassius (@KuganCassius) July 27, 2018
