England forward Raheem Sterling has defended a new tattoo of an M16 assault rifle on his leg after facing criticism for it ‘glamorising guns’.
The 23-year-old, who plays for Manchester City, posted a picture of himself training with his England team-mates at St George’s Park, with a tattoo of an assault rifle on his right calf clearly visible.
Lucy Cope, who founded Mothers Against Guns after her son Damian was shot dead outside a club in central London in July 2002, said the ink was ‘totally unacceptable’.
She called for him to be dropped from the England team until he has it removed, telling The Sun: ‘We demand he has the tattoo lasered off or covered up with a different tattoo.
‘He’s supposed to be a role model but chooses to glamorise guns.’
Her comments have sparked widespread debate about whether the top footballer is spreading the wrong message to his many young fans.
But Sephton Henry, a former gang member who now works to stop young people getting involved in gang culture with UK charity Gangsline, said he believes Sterling has been unfairly targeted because he is black.
He told Metro.co.uk: ‘I don’t believe that you can go in on someone about a tattoo.
‘Yes, he’s got a lot of young people looking up to him, but what about P. Diddy? What about rappers who talk about gang culture, what about all these other celebrities with offensive tattoos, what about Lady Gaga and Beyonce being sexual with an army of young fans?
‘He has explained it – it’s a metaphor. It’s on his right foot, his shooting foot. He is saying his foot shoots like a gun. The only reason people are kicking off is because it is a young black man.
‘It’s not even a gang affiliated tattoo – there are no numbers or writing alongside it – which you would likely see if it was affiliated to a certain gang.’
He added: ‘It wouldn’t have been picked up on in the same way if this was a white person, because of the stereotype of gangs and gang culture and the stereotype of who carries out gun crime.’
In a post on Instagram, the former Liverpool player, who is among five England strikers heading to Russia for the World Cup, said the tattoo had ‘a deeper meaning’.
‘When I was two my father died from being gunned down to death I made a promise to myself I would never touch a gun in my life time, I shoot with my right foot so it has a deeper meaning N still unfinished,’ he wrote.
He has received both support and criticism from celebrities online including Gary Lineker and Labour MP Tom Watson.
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