Raheem Sterling leaps to Gomez' defence after Liverpool star booed for England
Raheem Sterling was forced to take to social media following England’s emphatic 7-0 hammering of Montenegro after Gomez was booed from a small section of the Wembley crowd after coming on as a substitute.
The Manchester City star was dropped for the match in the wake of an altercation with Liverpool’s Gomez on England duty after the two previously clashed 24 hours earlier while playing for their clubs.
“To all the England fans,” he wrote “I wanted to leave things at(sic) it was but tonight I have to speak again. It was hard for me to see my team mate get booed for something that was my fault.
“Joe hasn’t done anything wrong & for me to see someone who keeps his head down and work hard especially after a difficult week for him to be booed when he came on tonight was wrong.
”I’ve taken full responsibility and accepted the consequence. I felt as though I had to say this get home safe every one.”
To all the @England fans, I wanted to leave things at it was but tonight I have to speak again : it was hard for me to see my team mate get booed for something that was my fault. Joe hasn’t done anything wrong & for me to see someone who keeps his head down and work hard..
— Raheem Sterling (@sterling7) November 14, 2019
especially after a difficult week for him to be booed when he came on tonight was wrong.
I’ve taken full responsibility and accepted the consequence.
I felt as though I had to say this get home safe every one ❤️ #Euro2020— Raheem Sterling (@sterling7) November 14, 2019
READ MORE: Gareth Southgate ready to recall Raheem Sterling against Kosovo
Manager Gareth Southgate also condemned the supporters who jeered the defender.
“I don’t understand it,” he said. “No England player should ever be booed. We’re a team and Joe has done nothing wrong. He and Raheem and the whole team are very close and we don’t want to see anybody treated in that way.”
Captain Harry Kane, who scored a hat-trick as England sealed Euro 2020 qualification, told ITV after the match that Sterling’s exclusion following the incident was a team decision and the player’s apology means there are no hard feelings within the camp.
“We made a decision as a group,” he said. “The gaffer spoke to me and a few of the other senior players in the team, and that’s the decision we came to.
“‘Razza’ apologised as we know, and for us we’re a group, things happen and we move on and this was a great way to show it.”
Speaking before the game, Southgate revealed that Sterling’s punishment would only last for the Wembley fixture and he would recall the forward for the match against Kosovo in Prishtina on Sunday.
Kane welcomed Sterling’s imminent return to the team.
“He’s been good around camp, he’s been training really well.
“Of course he would have been disappointed not too play today, but I'm sure he’ll be ready to go and try and get on a pitch on Sunday.”
Goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Marcus Rashford, an own goal from Aleksandar Sofranac, and a first senior goal for Tammy Abraham completed the rout on a night.
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