Raheem Sterling Pleads Guilty to Dangerous Driving Charges

Raheem Sterling has admitted driving a Lamborghini dangerously on three major roads before crashing the car in May.

The former England forward pleaded guilty at Basingstoke magistrates court on Tuesday to driving a Lamborghini Urus dangerously on the M25, the M3 and the A327 on 28 May. The incident ended in a single-vehicle collision on the M3 southbound near the Minley interchange.

Sterling, 31, also admitted possessing six nitrous oxide canisters for wrongful inhalation – a class C drug – and failing to provide a specimen when required. He appeared in the Hampshire courtroom dressed in a black suit jacket, black trousers, black shoes and a dark top.

Police from Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary had previously confirmed that the charges followed a crash involving only Sterling’s vehicle. No other cars were involved and no injuries were reported.

Career Overview

The case marks a stark moment in the career of a player who, at his peak, stood at the centre of England’s modern era. Sterling scored 20 goals in 82 appearances for the national team, a key figure in Gareth Southgate’s run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2020 final.

His rise began at QPR’s academy before a move to Liverpool, where he broke into senior football as a teenager. In 2015 he joined Manchester City and became one of the defining forwards of Pep Guardiola’s side, winning four Premier League titles, five League Cups and the FA Cup in 2019.

Sterling left for Chelsea in 2022 but slipped down the pecking order, spending the 2024–25 season on loan at Arsenal. After departing Stamford Bridge earlier this year, he signed a short-term deal with Feyenoord until the end of the campaign. He is currently without a club.

Off the Pitch

Off the pitch, Sterling has long been a prominent voice against discrimination. In the 2021 Queen’s birthday honours he was made an MBE for services to racial equality in sport, recognition for his role in fronting anti-racism campaigns and speaking forcefully about abuse in football and wider society.

The former England international now faces the consequences of his actions on the motorway, with his future in the game already uncertain.