Surprising homes owned by goal hero Sterling
What it’s like to live in homes owned by England hero Sterling
“THEY look a bit like they’ve been dropped here from the air, don’t they?”
Darragh Burke is referring to the six neat townhouses which sit in a corner of his unassuming Stockport street.
Until now he had no idea that the new builds had any link to the England squad - let alone one of their star players.
In fact, Williamson Gardens was bought by Manchester City star and England hero Raheem Sterling, 26, and his fiancee Paige Milian, 24, two years ago.
The couple embarked on a new career as property developers back in 2019, launching Milian Property.
The row of six modern two-bed townhouses in Reddish, Stockport, was their first project.
As a big football fan, Darragh - who lives in a terrace opposite the development - says he had always wondered why six modern-looking, new homes had been built in the middle of a road populated by red brick terraces.
The Liverpool FC fan, 24, was interested to find out about former Liverpool player Sterling’s links to the area.
“I remember thinking they were a bit unusual when we moved here,” he says.
“We moved in April. One of the reasons we moved to the area is because there’s clearly money going into it.”
He adds: “To know he owns it gives me context as to what that is and where the money has come from.”
Darragh says it’s good to see footballers putting their money into worthwhile projects.
“People like Sterling and Marcus Rashford are really good for the game,” he says.
“For a long time footballers were given this identity that was pretty bland and told ‘don’t comment too much.’
“Footballers are a lot more savvy now.”
Each of the homes at Williamson Gardens is currently occupied by renters.
The modern, white and grey townhouses each boast two bedrooms, underfloor heating and a private landscaped communal garden area.
One couple - who asked not to be named - have lived here for eleven months and say it’s ‘lovely.’
“The neighbours bring in the bins for us. It’s very peaceful.
“And the fact it’s gated is really nice.”
Though the couple are not football fans, they say friends know where they live and the links to the City forward.
“We were watching the match the other day and my friend said: ‘your landlord has scored.’”
Another neighbour on the gated street says she’s more of a rugby fan but admits it’s ‘cool’ to have a connection to a national sporting hero.
“These houses are nice and new and they look different,” she says.
“That’s why I wanted to live here.
“Sometimes people just stop and stare at them.”
When the homes were first marketed by Space4Living - at £750-a-month - they were described as “an exciting new development of 6 luxury mews styles homes within a much sought after location with strong rental demand”.
The site of the properties was previously occupied by a commercial sign business.