Man, 29, is charged over alleged racist attack on Raheem Sterling outside Manchester City training ground

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A man has been charged with an alleged racist attack on Manchester City and England footballer Raheem Sterling.

Sterling, 23, was reportedly kicked and racially abused as he arrived at City's Etihad complex before Saturday's match against Tottenham.

Greater Manchester Police said Karl Anderson, 29, of Woodward Street, Manchester, had been charged with racially aggravated common assault.

Police investigating an alleged racist attack on Raheem Sterling have arrested a man

The incident is understood to have happened when Sterling arrived at City's training base

A spokesperson for GMP said: ‘A man has been charged with racially aggravated common assault in Manchester.

‘Karl Anderson, 29, of Woodward Street, Manchester has been charged with racially aggravated common assault and has been remanded in custody to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Wednesday 20 December 2017. 

‘On Monday 18 December 2017 a report was made to police after a 23-year-old man was subjected to a racially aggravated assault on Clayton Lane in Manchester on Saturday 16 December.’

A complaint was made by Sterling, who went on to score twice in City's 4-1 win, and police opened an investigation on Monday.

City, who declined to comment, provided the force with CCTV footage which is thought to show the alleged attacker pulling up in a van outside the Etihad Campus, across the road from the stadium.

Sterling went on to score twice in Manchester City's 4-1 win over Tottenham on Saturday

It is understood that the England forward was kicked and branded a 'n*****' by his attacker, who was waiting for him at the entrance to the training complex. 

According to reports, Sterling pulled into the site in his car ahead of the game, at which point he was confronted by a man who is said to have hurled abuse at him.

The forward is then said to have got out of his car to find out what the man's problem was, only to be kicked in the leg.  

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Walker, from GMP's City of Manchester team, added: 'Earlier this morning we arrested a 29-year-old man after investigating a racially aggravated assault in Manchester.

'Racism will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester and has no place in civilised society. We take every report incredibly seriously and any reports can be reported via the True Vision website report-it.org.uk' 

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