Raheem the role model
Other examples of Sterling s community mindedness could be found when he arranged tickets to City s FA Cup semi-final against Brighton and Hove Albion for 550 pupils from his old school, while last month he urged those able to among his 2.2million Twitter follows to register to vote in the upcoming UK general election.
He s a young, black role model for so many young people. His status will go far and beyond football, that s for sure, said Townsend, who feels Sterling can align with some of British football s true pioneers and icons.
You will have young people not just wanting to be Raheem Sterling the footballer, but who will want to be Raheem Sterling the human being.
I take that as the kind of impact John Barnes had, when he was almost fighting racism by himself. Or Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson when they were at West Brom.
With those forefathers, the generation before him, he will be recognised as someone who s had a massive influence and impact.
That s probably the most powerful legacy of that post a year ago. He will have empowered many people to stand up for themselves, stand up for their rights and stand up for who they are as human beings.
Townsend is at pains to point out Sterling cannot be the be-all and end-all in the fight against racism, and that burden must never be placed upon any single person.
But, as M
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anchester United look to repel the City star s on-field obsession, it is to his immense credit he has managed to shed so much light a year on from that dark day.
