Raheem Sterling's vocal battle against racism is exactly what football needs

It wasn't the first time it happened this season. In Podgorica, as England were putting their hosts Montenegro to the sword, Raheem Sterling was subject to abuse from the fans, based on his skin colour.

He responded to them in the way that Raheem Sterling knows best - a neat finish to convert Jordan Henderson's through-ball, then his hands cupped to his ear, and asking the fans to bring it on!

The attention should be on another stunning performance from this young England side - another performance that Gareth Southgate can be very satisfied by, and very proud of. Instead, unfortunately, the attention has to be on a bunch of idiots in the stands.

And that's what they are - idiots.

Sterling claims he's not a leader in this fight to make the world the truly abhorrent nature of racial abuse that some players face, but really, his stance, his unequivocal backing of all coloured players, his voice, is what football needs.

Football needs to celebrate its gems - Raheem Sterling is one of those. This season, there is little doubt that he's been the best Englishman on show in world football.

He's got 19 goals and 16 assists in 40 appearances in all competitions. Compare that to Harry Kane, who has 24 goals and 6 assists in 36 appearances. On face value, there is little to choose between them.

But, when you look at the general coverage of Kane and Sterling as individuals, you get the difference, don't you. While Kane is often hailed as the greatest thing since sliced bread, the English saviour, someone putting Alan Shearer to shame, and other such superlatives he well and truly deserves, the coverage on Sterling sometimes just puts journalism to shame.

Yes, it is okay if Raheem Sterling flies on a budget airline, it's none of our business where he chooses to have meals, it's none of our business where he shops. Most importantly, it definitely is the media's business to put him on a pedestal for the fine footballer that he is, for the lethal attacker he's become.

[Thread] a selection of times when our national press have chosen to run stories on Raheem Sterling. 1. The one where Raheem was 'tired'. pic.twitter.com/6K3cHu6r7T

— Adam Keyworth (@adamkeyworth) May 28, 2018

Instead, the daily British press coverage on him is truly abhorrent. Take the instance of him getting a gun tattooed on his leg, as a tribute to his late father, who lost his life to gun violence. The tattoo was a pledge from Sterling - that he would never touch a gun.

It is also important to make sure that subconscious racism is removed from the human psyche - not just the football one. It's blatantly evident sometimes, that black players do get treated wholly differently, for doing the same things, or similar things their white counterparts do.

Even in that sphere, Sterling has been a leader. He's spoken out against the coverage that two of his own Manchester City teammates have received when they bought their first houses.

After the incident at Stamford Bridge, Darren Lewis, a football writer at The Daily Mirror, said that the landscape for black players really hasn't changed much - apart from the fact that players themselves are a lot more willing to be vocal and come out and raise offence, when they're being taunted and abused.

In that sense, it is crucial that Sterling keeps on making himself heard. What he said after the game in Podgorica was particularly relevant.

Banning individuals isn't a deterrent

It is not a deterrent to just impose bans on individual fans who abuse people racially.

"Banning one or two people isn’t going to change anything, the next time it happens then it will be one or two fans again. So I think there needs to be a more serious take on this. Whoever is in charge – and I don’t know if it is a stadium ban – but they have to do something to make them think again if they want to support their team. Even if it’s our England fans. It should be the same everywhere. There’s no time for us just to be cancelling two people’s season tickets.”

FIFA can have their 'Kick it Out' campaign, UEFA can have their campaigns on inclusion. Yet, racism has kept rearing its ugly head in the sport, from time to time. What football needs is not immediate condemnation and then lack of action from those concerned.

There has to be a concerted push from all the relevant authorities to ensure that players are protected, to ensure that football is in the news for just that, the football.

What should have been Declan Rice's day, Callum Hudson-Odoi's day, as they were so good on their first England starts, ended up becoming a day for the idiots.

Football needs to ensure that future Rices and Hudson-Odois don't have their big days marred by lunatics.

"It’s a real shame to be coming somewhere to be reminded of what skin colour you are, or what you resemble. I know what colour I am. It’s just a shame that some people think it’s cool to make fun of you for it. I don’t think it is as bad as it could be, but it’s 2019 and it’s time this has been put to bed.”

Let's put it to bed. Let's listen to Sterling. He's not, as he's often said, a saint. But he's a leader. Lead us, Raheem!

Laugh at the racist idiots, tell them they can't stop you by doing that, tell them how abhorrent they are.