A video has emerged of Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling inhaling laughing gas and everyone has lost their collective minds.
The Liverpool player and England international could be seen in a video of him inhaling the nitrous oxide through a balloon, a legal high that has become popular with young people in the UK, and can be found on the menus in overseas clubbing resorts frequented by English tourists such as Malia and Magaluf.
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However, with Sterling being a “role model” for young people (an honour which is given to everyone in the public eye as soon as they’ve done something mildly controversial), there are now calls for him to make a public apology in regards to his behaviour.
Exactly what he’s apologising for, though, remains a mystery. For taking a legal high? Do we need to stage a public intervention every time a footballer drinks a bottle of Peroni, or smokes a cigarette? Because I’m sure the latter would be actually detrimental to their career, unlike laughing gas which, while a stupid activity to engage in, is hardly cause for a national outrage.
Nonetheless, video footage of Sterling huffing on a balloon was handed to The Sun, with it now being reported that Arsenal are reconsidering their interest in the player, who is rumoured to leave his current club at the end of this season. The end of the video reportedly depicts Sterling “passed out,” which is the hyperbolic way of saying “he fell asleep after having a night out,” with his smoking of shisha – another perfectly legal substance – also coming under scrutiny.
According to reports, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will “speak to Sterling about his lifestyle,” while the Professional Footballers’ Association deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes said: “Nobody would condone the use of these types of substances, whether legal or otherwise, as footballers are seen as role models. But many of us look back at things we did in our teens and early 20s and wish we hadn’t done them.”
“I am sure this will be a minor blip on his path to a fantastic career.”
Hopefully Sterling will see the error of his ways and refrain from doing anything thoroughly legal in the future.
Photos: Getty Images
