
The tabloid press has long had a particularly poisonous attitude towards footballers’ lifestyles – especially those who play for England. But the constant whiff of classism in this coverage has translated into a full-on stench when it comes to players of colour.
Manchester City and England midfielder Raheem Sterling has been the focus of this vitriolic obsession over recent years, with the Sun picking apart details of his life like it does with no other player of similar stature.