Raheem Sterling honoured with MBE for promoting racial equality
The City forward's fronted anti-racism and discrimination campaigns after being subjected to online abuse
Manchester City's Raheem Sterling has been recognised for his work to promote racial equality in sport, amid a controversy over the national side taking a knee before matches.
The forward was made an MBE after fronting anti-racism and discrimination campaigns and speaking out strongly against racism on and off the pitch for several years.
The 26-year-old has been subjected to vile online abuse throughout his career for both club and country, as well as from fans in the stands.
In autumn 2019, Sterling took part in an anti-racism campaign, No Room For Racism, involving the Premier League, the Football Association, the EFL, the Professional Footballers' Association and anti-racism campaign group Kick It Out.
Last summer, as the Black Lives Matter movement gained traction following the murder of George Floyd in the US, Sterling said "now is the time to act'' on racism.
He was one of several England players to appear in a video campaign calling for change as a result of the movement.
The honour comes amid a growing number of footballers being subject to racist abuse online, and discussion over footballers taking the knee before games, which has seen players met with boos.
Earlier this week Downing Street did not back the players' decision to adopt the anti-racism gesture, instead only issuing a statement urging fans to be "respectful''.
But on Friday, ahead of England's opening game of Euro 2020 on Sunday, Boris Johnson's spokesman said the PM wants the public to "cheer them on, not boo'' and explicitly supported those who decide to take part in the protest.
The gesture first originated among American football players in 2016, in protest against police brutality and racism in the US, and has since been adopted around the world.
Football players use it to reinforce the message that racism will not be tolerated in the sport.
Speaking about why England players will again take a knee in the upcoming Euro 2020 finals, Sterling expressed "real disappointment'' that some fans have not understood the reasons behind it and booed the gesture at recent games.
In the past months, a growing number of footballers have been the victims of racist abuse on social media.
Earlier in May, the Football Association called on the Government to introduce legislation to compel social media companies to do more to stop online abuse.
That followed a four-day social media boycott which saw football organisations, clubs, players, other sports stars, major businesses and media outlets fall silent in protest.
Within 48 hours of the boycott coming to an end, Sterling had been racially abused on Instagram.
A spokesman for the anti-racism education charity Show Racism the Red Card said:
"We congratulate Raheem on having his commitment to highlighting the racial inequalities of society recognised.
"The same inequalities that have compelled players and the England squad to take the knee and to continue taking the knee to keep these issues at the forefront of our minds.
"Our charity's ethos encourages players to use their platforms to speak out and act as role models for wider society, in particularly the young people that look up to them, and there aren't many better examples of that than Raheem.''
Troy Townsend, head of player engagement at Kick It Out, football's equality and inclusion organisation, said:
"Raheem Sterling has been a great advocate for equality in football. He has spoken openly and honestly about racism, including his own personal experiences.
"He has used his platform and profile in a really positive way to try and affect the change that is required. The honour he is receiving is very well deserved.''