Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling has admitted that he was a “massive” Manchester United fan when he was younger.
The England international has scored 23 goals and has provided 12 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions this term.
He has been one of the stars of City’s success under Pep Guardiola as they accumulated 98 points this campaign to win the Premier League for the second year in a row.
City still have a chance to claim more silverware this season when they take on Watford in the FA Cup final and Sterling has shared his memory of the 2007 final, revealing he was a United fan growing up.
“I was at the final in 2007,” Sterling told the Mirror. “I shouldn’t really say this — not now, definitely not now! — but when I was young I was a massive United fan. I had an old United kit, from when they won the last FA Cup.”
Sterling paid for 550 tickets for pupils at his former school to attend the FA Cup semi-final clash between Manchester City and Brighton earlier this season.
“To be in the stadium… it was incredible,”Sterling added. “It was unbelievable and that was when I tried to give the tickets to the school. That was motivated by that — being so close to the stadium and not going there more than once.
“If two or three of the kids could be inspired, then that’s all I was trying to do. Purely, that’s how I felt at the time.
“If there was a kid who had a chance of being a footballer, hopefully that will give them motivation or inspiration to change their dreams.”