Former Liverpool defender and now Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher tonight made a passionate defence of Raheem Sterling.
Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Carragher made reference to the alleged racial abuse which the Manchester City star was subjected to at Stamford Bridge.
His colleague, ex-Manchester United man Gary Neville also spoke passionately about the treatment Sterling received while on England duty.
A team-mate of Sterling at Liverpool, Carragher argued that the idea that the England international is only concerned by money is "absolute garbage".
He said: "What is the perception of Raheem Sterling in this country for the majority of people who buy papers or read stuff online?
"The perception is of a young, flash, black kid from London. I think a lot of it comes from that he moved on from Liverpool, the perception that he is more interested in cars and nightclubs more than his actual football. Anyone reading that, anyone writing that, I can assure you that is absolute garbage.
"Raheem Sterling is a mouse - I can't even remember speaking to him at Liverpool. He was so quiet, he got on with his training. He wasn't loud in the dressing room. He wasn't late, he wasn't going on nights out. He was just a young kid who was very humble.
Carragher was asked whether the coverage of Sterling's lifestyle has 'racist undertones', and he said that he thinks it does.
"I think there is no doubt about that," he added. "The debate now is whether the stuff in the media and online racial. I think the undertone of racism is there."
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