Football star explains gun tattoo after it's called 'absolute disgrace'

Raheem Sterling has defended his new gun tattoo by insisting his latest piece of bodywork is in tribute to his father, who was shot dead when he was two.

The England and Manchester City winger was heavily criticised after he was pictured in training but he has since justified his decision.

He wrote on Instagram: "When I was two my father died from being gunned down to death. I made a promise to myself I would never touch a gun in my lifetime. I shoot with my right foot so it has a deeper meaning and is still unfinished."

An anti-gun campaigner has called for Sterling to have the tattoo lasered off.

In March, Sterling got a tattoo of an AK-47 assault rifle on his right leg, with the ink on full display as he trained with the England football squad yesterday at St. George's Park.

The striking tattoo is one of a number of body artworks Sterling has, but is certainly one of the more unusual - and appropriate, given the power he has when shooting on his right.

The 23-year-old has used his tattoos to record both his humble origins and his soaring ambition as a footballer.

He grew up on a tough estate next to Wembley Stadium in north London, and his left arm features both a picture of the famous venue and the logo for the local Tube station.

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A post shared by Raheem Sterling x 😇 (@sterling7)

Lucy Cope, of Mothers Against Guns, told the Sun newspaper that the tattoo was "sickening" especially when shown off to young fans on Instagram.

"This tattoo is disgusting," she told the Sun. "Raheem should hang his head in shame. It's totally unacceptable.

"We demand he has the tattoo lasered off or covered up with a different tattoo. If he refuses he should be dropped from the England team. He's supposed to be a role model but chooses to glamorise guns."

Sterling scored 23 goals and assisted a further 17 in 46 club matches, as Manchester City won the Premier League, setting a new team scoring record in the process of being the first English top flight side to reach 100 points.

Sterling also has the words, 'Thank you mama for the nine months you carried me, through all the pain and suffering,' inked on his biceps in tribute to his mother Nadine, who brought him up single-handed when they moved to Britain from Jamaica.

At the top of his arm he has the name and an image of the face of his daughter, Melody Rose, who was born in 2012.

- With the Daily Mail