Liverpool winger bids to shed bad boy image

Raheem Sterling is early - 45 minutes early. In my 14 years in sports journalism, this is unprecedented for a Premier League footballer. 

It's the first sign, of many, that the team around one of England's most exciting young talents is working hard to make sure he keeps his feet on the ground.

He arrives at his favourite Italian restaurant in Liverpool accompanied by his agent and a small team filming him as part of a documentary.

He's affable but shy and in many ways a typical teenager - sipping on a cola, constantly texting.

• 8 December 1994 - born in Kingston, Jamaica
• 1999 - Moves to London with his mother and attends school in Wembley
• 2004 - Joins QPR youth academy at the age of 10
• February 2010 - Moves to Liverpool aged 15, with Manchester United and Chelsea also interested
• 31 March 2010 - Scores for England Under-16s in a 3-1 win over Ukraine
• 24 March 2012 - Makes his senior debut as a substitute in a Premier League match against Wigan
• 26 August 2012 - Given his first start in the Premier League as Liverpool draw 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City
• 14 November 2012 - Makes full England debut in a friendly 4-2 defeat against Sweden
• 20 May 2013 - Common assault charge dropped after a witness fails to appear
• 20 September 2013 - Cleared of assault on former girlfriend.
• 5 March 2014 - Man-of-the-match performance in England's 1-0 friendly win over Denmark.

It's only when the 19-year-old takes off his jacket for lunch that I notice his entire left arm is covered, from shoulder to wrist, in tattoos. 

At the top is the face and name of his daughter, Melody Rose - "the best thing that's ever happened" to him. She was born in 2012 after a brief relationship and is his only child, despite "silly online rumours" to the contrary.

If you search his name on the internet, one of the first suggestions is 'Raheem Sterling four kids'. This, he says, is the public's biggest misconception of him.

He quips that he actually "has eight", but then adds: "It made people think badly of me, that I'm not really grounded, that I'm out and about doing loads of madness."

It's not the only thing contributing to a bad boy reputation. In May 2013, he had a common assault charge against him dropped after a witness failed to turn up to court.

And in September last year, he was found not guilty of assault against a former girlfriend. He knows he's "made mistakes" in the past but says he's young and is using those experiences to help him grow up and move on.

Back to those tattoos. On the inside of his biceps are the words 'Thank you mama for the nine months you carried me, through all the pain and suffering'.

It's clear his mother, Nadine - who he jokes "thinks she's Jose Mourinho" - is a constant presence and strength in his life.

Sterling says: "She's a big part of my life - she tries to have too much of a say sometimes! I try to listen to her, because most of what she says is right.

"My mum thinks she knows her football! She'll certainly tell me when I'm not doing something right. At other times she'll say I'm not listening to her. There's been a few clashes with her."

“My mum thinks she's Jose Mourinho. She tries to have too much of a say sometimes - but I always listen”

She left Maverley, Jamaica, for England when he was aged five and once she had found work, moved Raheem and his three siblings to the tough St Raphael's estate in the shadow of Wembley. 

Sterling was removed from mainstream primary school because of behavioural problems and spent three years at Vernon House special school, where the youngster was told by a teacher: "If you carry on the way you're going, by the time you're 17 you'll either be in prison or playing for England."

A prophetic statement, made because it was clear that although he could be disruptive, he was a talented footballer.

Sterling joined QPR at the age of 11, where he was quickly nicknamed 'Raheem Park Rangers' by his peers. With several big teams interested in him, he chose Liverpool when he was 15. 
 
England manager Roy Hodgson, then in charge of Liverpool, handed Sterling his senior debut for the Reds in a pre-season friendly against Borussia Monchengladbach.

The slight, diminutive boy who was repeatedly knocked off the ball by older players is still the same height - just 5ft 7in - but has "bulked up a bit" and Hodgson has made it clear that Sterling is in his World Cup thoughts.
 
"He has seen me play and I think he likes the way I play. I'm grateful he's the manager of England," Sterling says.

"He gives me good motivation to do well. He puts his arm around me and gives me little things I can do better at."