Walking through the notorious St Raphael’s Estate in the shadow of Wembley Stadium, 13-year-old Raheem Sterling took care to put an extra sweater over his QPR tracksuit on the way to training. To do otherwise would be to invite intimidation or even a beating. Not because of club affiliations but because blue was the ‘wrong’ colour according to gangs who controlled the estate. There are many similar stories which help explain why England’s most talked about footballer is such a potent mix of ability, stubbornness and vulnerability. Raheem Sterling is set to return to QPR when Liverpool travel to Loftus Road on Sunday . The 19-year-old has received heavy criticism after not starting England's Euro 2016 qualifier in Estonia . ‘We can all talk about his tough upbringing. He was the one living it,’ says his first footballing mentor, QPR youth coach Steve Gallen. ‘He had the talent which coaches see once in a lifetime, if they’re lucky. But he needed support and guidance. We only knew half of what went on, otherwise we would have tried to help him even more.’ On Sunday, 19-year-old Sterling is due to return to Loftus Road for the first time since he left four years ago to join Liverpool, a move he admits was motivated by a need ‘to get out of London’. Assuming Brendan Rodgers feels the teenager can cope with the emotional baggage of the day, Sterling will arrive at his old ground with a higher profile than the Prime Minister. He has been caught in the middle of a slanging match between club manager Brendan Rodgers and England boss Roy Hodgson over whether he was too tired to start for his country in Estonia. England manager Roy Hodgson (left) and Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers (right) have had a war of words . Sterling started England's Euro 2016 qualifier against Estonia in Tallinn on the bench . The Liverpool star played in the 5-0 win over San Marino at Wembley the Thursday before . Gallen, who is still at QPR as Under 21 head coach, remembers vividly the first proper game he saw Sterling play in. ‘It was an Under 12 match against Wycombe,’ he says. ‘Wycombe would score, Raheem would score, Wycombe would score, Raheem would score. It was ridiculous. ‘I think Wycombe ended up winning 5-4 against our one-man team. When I got back to the club, I said I’d just been watching Raheem Park Rangers. He was totally running the show.’ Even then, there was another side to the skinny little kid who was vulnerable and defiant at the same time. Gallen adds: ‘I remember how good he was because of his athleticism and brightness, but when someone kicked him, he walked off crying. ‘It wasn’t the physical stuff that caused it. I’d go over to him and say, “Look, you can’t walk off, come on”. But he wasn’t really hurt by the foul, he was hurt because of losing. ‘He knew the rest of the team weren’t on his level. He was thinking, “I am trying so hard, scoring all these goals and they are letting them in, making me lose”.’ It was not long before every club in the country knew about Sterling. But his spiky, immature attitude was well-known, too. Concessions about his behaviour were made at QPR, who knew his story, a Jamaican-born kid who moved to London at the age of five, lost his father early and whose mother — with whom he was close — was often too busy caring for the rest of the family to watch Raheem play. Sterling played 120 minutes in Liverpool's Capital One Cup tie against Middlesbrough that went to extra-time . The area surrounding Wembley Stadium in north London where Sterling grew up . For most other clubs, however, Sterling represented a major risk. Remarkably, when he was put up for sale at 15, only two clubs — Liverpool and Fulham — backed up their interest with firm bids for England’s most talented teenager. ‘Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, they all knew about Raheem. But their attitude was: “Too small, too much baggage”,’ says Gallen. ‘At the time, I wanted him to stay at QPR. I persuaded the reserves to give him his debut at 15 so he’d feel he was being fast-tracked. But at one meeting, after training, Raheem said “Steve, I have to go”. ‘I could see how genuinely upset he was and I thought, “I can’t do that to a kid”, so we reluctantly agreed to listen to offers. ‘Now, with hindsight, I can see it was the right thing for him to leave, as much for a change in environment off the pitch.’ Andrew Whorms, 20, who played schools football with Sterling, believes his friend’s upbringing has played a key part. ‘He is humble. He took all the pressure that was on him and put it into his football,’ he says. ‘He’s worked hard; never took no for an answer. He’s got his reward and he deserves it. ‘A lot of people don’t realise how hard it is to get on in football. A few of us managed to stay in there and get a long way and he’s worked for everything. He was never afraid to take things in his own hands.’ Sterling moved to England from Jamaica aged five, and grew up on the St Raphael's Estate . A young Sterling in action for the QPR youth team before he made his move to Liverpool . When Fulham initially bid just under the £500,000 asking price to try to get a bargain, Liverpool had a clear run for the winger. What a bargain he looks now. He has already achieved more at Anfield, good and bad, than most players manage in a lifetime. His thrilling club form earned him a place in England’s World Cup team, where it is generally regarded he superseded Wayne Rooney as England’s best player. Less positively, an appearance in court just over a year ago earned a reprimand from Rodgers about his lifestyle, even though assault charges against an ex-girlfriend were dropped. He is a father now and can provide a lifestyle he himself never had. He hasn’t lost his feelings for QPR. ‘He texted me two days after we won the play-off final at Wembley to get into the Premier League,’ says Gallen. ‘He’d been at the match, gone there quietly and watched in one of the corporate boxes. My seven-year-old son can’t wait to meet him, so we’ll go down to the Liverpool dressing room afterwards.’ If Sterling plays, his every move is bound to be analysed for signs of fatigue. Hodgson claimed he had left Sterling on the bench in Tallinn because the player said he’d felt tired. Liverpool have turned on the England manager in fury despite Rodgers warning about the dangers of burn-out all season. Paul Lawrence, a football coach at Sterling’s old school which is now known as the ARK Elvin Academy . There are other factors at play that have helped the issue escalate. Rodgers is furious that his striker Daniel Sturridge was injured on England duty and Hodgson is resentful at the way he was treated as Liverpool boss during his brief, disastrous spell at Anfield. The 67-year-old also has an awkward personal relationship with Sterling, finding his teenage ways irritable. Liverpool and England team-mate Glen Johnson, who himself fell out with Hodgson at Anfield, has come out strongly in support of Sterling and says the player has been misrepresented, presumably by his international manager. ‘The way it’s been presented, Raheem was asking for a lie down. But obviously anyone with half a brain would know that’s not the case. He’d play every week if he can,’ says Johnson. ‘He was asked a question “How does he feel?”, and he’s said his thighs were tired. There is a difference between aching and demand a break from games to actually saying “I’m tired and I can’t play”. ‘You are never 100 per cent, certainly not when you are playing games every four days, you are going to play with knocks and pain and aches. I think club and country should support him, support young players. With Raheem, he is still growing, so he is going to have a demand on his body.’ The ARK Elvin Academy in Wembley where Sterling used to go to school . A certificate from 2007 which shows Sterling winning a Year 7 boys' high jump competition . So, what next for Sterling? A new deal at Liverpool is being talked about but remains unsigned. Interest from Real Madrid is genuine but not yet backed up by hard cash. QPR must hope Liverpool do sell in the summer. They would be entitled to 25 per cent of the fee, which would be about £60million on current market value. But Sunday afternoon is about remembering where it all started for Sterling. Paul Lawrence, football coach at Sterling’s old school, now known as the ARK Elvin Academy, says: ‘Raheem is an inspiration. He has gone to the highest level and that allows other kids here to dream. He’s a 19-year-old boy from Brent and he proves that if they’re serious and put in time and effort, they can achieve what they want. ‘There are so many I know who lose heart and stop playing football and don’t even play on the park with their mates any more. Raheem was different.’ His school pal Whorms adds: ‘In PE, the goals were tape on the walls of the gym and at lunchtime we’d put down bags and play in the cage with a tennis ball. ‘We saw them knock down the old Wembley and the new one coming to life. For a lot of us, it was always our dream to play inside. Raheem did it. He’s got true grit.’
Liverpool star set to return to QPR on Sunday in Premier League clash .
Sterling grew up in Brent in shadows of Wembley Stadium .
19-year-old moved to England from Jamaica when he was five .
Sterling was brought by Liverpool in 2010 and has become a star at Anfield .
Teenager has received  criticism after not starting for England in Estonia .
Walking through the notorious St Raphael’s Estate in the shadow of Wembley Stadium, 13-year-old Raheem Sterling took care to put an extra sweater over his QPR tracksuit on the way to training. To do otherwise would be to invite intimidation or even a beating. Not because of club affiliations but because blue was the ‘wrong’ colour according to gangs who controlled the estate. There are many similar stories which help explain why England’s most talked about footballer is such a potent mix of ability, stubbornness and vulnerability. Raheem Sterling is set to return to QPR when Liverpool travel to Loftus Road on Sunday . The 19-year-old has received heavy criticism after not starting England's Euro 2016 qualifier in Estonia . ‘We can all talk about his tough upbringing. He was the one living it,’ says his first footballing mentor, QPR youth coach Steve Gallen. ‘He had the talent which coaches see once in a lifetime, if they’re lucky. But he needed support and guidance. We only knew half of what went on, otherwise we would have tried to help him even more.’ On Sunday, 19-year-old Sterling is due to return to Loftus Road for the first time since he left four years ago to join Liverpool, a move he admits was motivated by a need ‘to get out of London’. Assuming Brendan Rodgers feels the teenager can cope with the emotional baggage of the day, Sterling will arrive at his old ground with a higher profile than the Prime Minister. He has been caught in the middle of a slanging match between club manager Brendan Rodgers and England boss Roy Hodgson over whether he was too tired to start for his country in Estonia. England manager Roy Hodgson (left) and Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers (right) have had a war of words . Sterling started England's Euro 2016 qualifier against Estonia in Tallinn on the bench . The Liverpool star played in the 5-0 win over San Marino at Wembley the Thursday before . Gallen, who is still at QPR as Under 21 head coach, remembers vividly the first proper game he saw Sterling play in. ‘It was an Under 12 match against Wycombe,’ he says. ‘Wycombe would score, Raheem would score, Wycombe would score, Raheem would score. It was ridiculous. ‘I think Wycombe ended up winning 5-4 against our one-man team. When I got back to the club, I said I’d just been watching Raheem Park Rangers. He was totally running the show.’ Even then, there was another side to the skinny little kid who was vulnerable and defiant at the same time. Gallen adds: ‘I remember how good he was because of his athleticism and brightness, but when someone kicked him, he walked off crying. ‘It wasn’t the physical stuff that caused it. I’d go over to him and say, “Look, you can’t walk off, come on”. But he wasn’t really hurt by the foul, he was hurt because of losing. ‘He knew the rest of the team weren’t on his level. He was thinking, “I am trying so hard, scoring all these goals and they are letting them in, making me lose”.’ It was not long before every club in the country knew about Sterling. But his spiky, immature attitude was well-known, too. Concessions about his behaviour were made at QPR, who knew his story, a Jamaican-born kid who moved to London at the age of five, lost his father early and whose mother — with whom he was close — was often too busy caring for the rest of the family to watch Raheem play. Sterling played 120 minutes in Liverpool's Capital One Cup tie against Middlesbrough that went to extra-time . The area surrounding Wembley Stadium in north London where Sterling grew up . For most other clubs, however, Sterling represented a major risk. Remarkably, when he was put up for sale at 15, only two clubs — Liverpool and Fulham — backed up their interest with firm bids for England’s most talented teenager. ‘Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, they all knew about Raheem. But their attitude was: “Too small, too much baggage”,’ says Gallen. ‘At the time, I wanted him to stay at QPR. I persuaded the reserves to give him his debut at 15 so he’d feel he was being fast-tracked. But at one meeting, after training, Raheem said “Steve, I have to go”. ‘I could see how genuinely upset he was and I thought, “I can’t do that to a kid”, so we reluctantly agreed to listen to offers. ‘Now, with hindsight, I can see it was the right thing for him to leave, as much for a change in environment off the pitch.’ Andrew Whorms, 20, who played schools football with Sterling, believes his friend’s upbringing has played a key part. ‘He is humble. He took all the pressure that was on him and put it into his football,’ he says. ‘He’s worked hard; never took no for an answer. He’s got his reward and he deserves it. ‘A lot of people don’t realise how hard it is to get on in football. A few of us managed to stay in there and get a long way and he’s worked for everything. He was never afraid to take things in his own hands.’ Sterling moved to England from Jamaica aged five, and grew up on the St Raphael's Estate . A young Sterling in action for the QPR youth team before he made his move to Liverpool . When Fulham initially bid just under the £500,000 asking price to try to get a bargain, Liverpool had a clear run for the winger. What a bargain he looks now. He has already achieved more at Anfield, good and bad, than most players manage in a lifetime. His thrilling club form earned him a place in England’s World Cup team, where it is generally regarded he superseded Wayne Rooney as England’s best player. Less positively, an appearance in court just over a year ago earned a reprimand from Rodgers about his lifestyle, even though assault charges against an ex-girlfriend were dropped. He is a father now and can provide a lifestyle he himself never had. He hasn’t lost his feelings for QPR. ‘He texted me two days after we won the play-off final at Wembley to get into the Premier League,’ says Gallen. ‘He’d been at the match, gone there quietly and watched in one of the corporate boxes. My seven-year-old son can’t wait to meet him, so we’ll go down to the Liverpool dressing room afterwards.’ If Sterling plays, his every move is bound to be analysed for signs of fatigue. Hodgson claimed he had left Sterling on the bench in Tallinn because the player said he’d felt tired. Liverpool have turned on the England manager in fury despite Rodgers warning about the dangers of burn-out all season. Paul Lawrence, a football coach at Sterling’s old school which is now known as the ARK Elvin Academy . There are other factors at play that have helped the issue escalate. Rodgers is furious that his striker Daniel Sturridge was injured on England duty and Hodgson is resentful at the way he was treated as Liverpool boss during his brief, disastrous spell at Anfield. The 67-year-old also has an awkward personal relationship with Sterling, finding his teenage ways irritable. Liverpool and England team-mate Glen Johnson, who himself fell out with Hodgson at Anfield, has come out strongly in support of Sterling and says the player has been misrepresented, presumably by his international manager. ‘The way it’s been presented, Raheem was asking for a lie down. But obviously anyone with half a brain would know that’s not the case. He’d play every week if he can,’ says Johnson. ‘He was asked a question “How does he feel?”, and he’s said his thighs were tired. There is a difference between aching and demand a break from games to actually saying “I’m tired and I can’t play”. ‘You are never 100 per cent, certainly not when you are playing games every four days, you are going to play with knocks and pain and aches. I think club and country should support him, support young players. With Raheem, he is still growing, so he is going to have a demand on his body.’ The ARK Elvin Academy in Wembley where Sterling used to go to school . A certificate from 2007 which shows Sterling winning a Year 7 boys' high jump competition . So, what next for Sterling? A new deal at Liverpool is being talked about but remains unsigned. Interest from Real Madrid is genuine but not yet backed up by hard cash. QPR must hope Liverpool do sell in the summer. They would be entitled to 25 per cent of the fee, which would be about £60million on current market value. But Sunday afternoon is about remembering where it all started for Sterling. Paul Lawrence, football coach at Sterling’s old school, now known as the ARK Elvin Academy, says: ‘Raheem is an inspiration. He has gone to the highest level and that allows other kids here to dream. He’s a 19-year-old boy from Brent and he proves that if they’re serious and put in time and effort, they can achieve what they want. ‘There are so many I know who lose heart and stop playing football and don’t even play on the park with their mates any more. Raheem was different.’ His school pal Whorms adds: ‘In PE, the goals were tape on the walls of the gym and at lunchtime we’d put down bags and play in the cage with a tennis ball. ‘We saw them knock down the old Wembley and the new one coming to life. For a lot of us, it was always our dream to play inside. Raheem did it. He’s got true grit.’
in the shadow of Wembley Stadium, 13-year-old vulnerability. Raheem Sterling is set to return to QPR when Liverpool travel to Loftus Road on Sunday . The 19-year-old has received heavy criticism after not starting England's Euro 2016 Sterling is due to return to Loftus Road for the represented a major risk. Remarkably, when he was his own hands.’ Sterling moved to England from Jamaica aged five, and grew up on the St during his brief, disastrous spell at Anfield.