Sterling insists he was at fault and fans’ reaction was wrong
Raheem Sterling last night said it was wrong for fans to boo Joe Gomez as the fallout from their ugly clash this week affected England’s landmark international.
Gareth Southgate’s side secured a thumping 7-0 win over Montenegro, with a first-half hat-trick from Harry Kane, to win Group A and guarantee their place at Euro 2020.
However the sense of celebration, with a host of former players, including World Cup winners and those who have achieved at least 50 caps, at Wembley was overshadowed by the appalling reaction of some fans when Gomez came on as a second-half substitute.
The boos in the stadium were audible, with Gomez understood to have then been the first England player to leave the dressing room after the end of the game. England manager Gareth Southgate condemned the reaction and said he would seek out the Liverpool defender to check on how he is.
Soon after the final whistle, Sterling, who was dropped for the game by Southgate as a disciplinary measure following his attack on Gomez, took to social media.
“To all the England fans … It was hard for me to see my team-mate get booed for something that was my fault,” Sterling, who had clapped Gomez when he came on, wrote. “Joe hasn’t done anything wrong and for me to see someone who keeps his head down and works hard … especially after a difficult week for him, to be booed when he came on tonight was wrong. I’ve taken full responsibility and accepted the consequence.”
Sterling and Gomez had clashed on the pitch during Liverpool’s highly-charged Premier League win over Manchester City on Sunday with Sterling then behaving badly as the England squad met up.
His reaction to Gomez in the player’s canteen at St George’s Park was unprovoked, with Sterling later apologising to the squad after attempting to grab his team-mate.
Gomez received a scratch to his face in the altercation as other players tried to pull Sterling away.
Southgate said it was unacceptable for any England player to be booed and reiterated that Gomez has done “absolutely nothing wrong”. “First and foremost, the whole dressing room are disappointed with it because the dressing room are tight, every one of them,” Southgate said. “Contrary to what I’m told has been said in various quarters, all of the players are united. The whole thing was put to bed the other day.
“Joe [Gomez] had done absolutely nothing wrong. No England player should ever be booed when they’re wearing the shirt, ever. I don’t get it. So, all of the players are particularly disappointed with that, and the reason that I wanted to get Joe on the pitch was that he’s been with us in September and October and we’ve not got him into the games.
“Also, I know I’m going to start Raheem on Sunday [against Kosovo] and get him back onto the pitch as well, because it was important for both of them to get back on the field with England and show everybody that we’re all in this now. So, yes, I’m hugely disappointed for him, but he’s got the support of all of us – the whole dressing room, totally united. And we’ll make sure we’re there for him.”
Asked whether he would speak with Gomez, who is just 22, Southgate added: “Absolutely. I’ve already started that, and yes, he’s got to feel the support of everybody, which he has, completely.” Sterling is understood to be keen to move and accepts he was to blame.
Of England’s performance, having scored a remarkable 33 goals in seven group games, Southgate said: “It’s been a group that we expected to win but we’ve totally taken teams apart. Some matches in the past have been problematic for England, where teams have defended deep in numbers and been stubborn. But because of our speed, movement and speed of ball circulation, we’ve carved these teams apart.”