Raheem Sterling Wants To Let You Know ‘The World Is Yours To Take’

11 years ago, I watched a young Raheem Sterling destroy Southend United in the FA Youth Cup. Each goal was terrific, scarily showing the range of goals we would come to know him by, showing the tenacity of a young boy yearning to become a professional footballer. It was a sublime viewing, one so strong I became his strongest advocate in my college common room. “Don’t watch that, fam! Sterling’s loading. Watch next season,” I’d say one day, followed by “Sterling and Suso are gonna be some of the best players in the world,” the next, and I was right.

As a Liverpool fan, one traumatised by years of mediocrity, the signing of Sterling from QPR rang bells. I heard through the footballers I knew that he was touted for greatness, and I could see it for myself. To see a young Black footballer cut through the ranks and excel at the rate he did was awe-inspiring. A decade and a moment later, we see Sterling at a peak; a professional baller spanning three magnificent clubs, with a cabinet full of trophies, his career thus far is a statement for the beautiful, hard-earned journey to succeed. Having closely followed Sterling’s career for over ten years, it was more than an honour to sit down with him, at a studio in South East London, and talk about his journey.

We spoke about his early days, the days when he had to take three buses to and from footie training during a very troubled time for inner-city London youth. I had a very similar journey, three buses to and from an exclusion centre, weighed down by the context of such a London. While it took me some time to find my bearings, his dedication to the game saw him persevere. Sterling’s story to becoming a top-level baller may not be the most conventional, but it is such a story that makes him a perfect representative for Budweiser’s World Cup campaign for 2022: The World Is Yours To Take. 

As sponsors of the FIFA World Cup for more than 30 years, Budweiser has represented the joy that unites football fans all around the world with their campaigns. This year enlisting Raheem Sterling—who is on the brink of his 10-year anniversary as an England player—Lionel Messi, and Neymar, The World Is Yours To Take campaign aims to represent the commitment to greatness—no matter what your journey entails.

Dive into our conversation with Starboy Sterling after the jump. 

“When I was younger, football helped with my behaviour and my social skills. It was something I could see that was improving my everyday life.”