Raheem Sterling pleads guilty after Hampshire dangerous-driving crash

Raheem Sterling has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide intended for illegal inhalation and refusing to undergo a test after a road accident in southern England. The former Manchester City, Chelsea and England forward appeared before Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, several months after the incident.

The crash happened on 28 May near the Minley interchange in Hampshire. Sterling was driving a Lamborghini when the vehicle struck motorway safety barriers. No other vehicle was involved, and nobody was injured. Police arrested the 31-year-old after the collision, and he was later released on bail before appearing in court.

Sterling also admitted possessing six canisters of nitrous oxide when the accident occurred. The substance, commonly known as laughing gas, has legitimate medical uses but is illegal to possess for the purpose of recreational inhalation in England and Wales. The court heard that Sterling had also refused to submit to an examination and provide a sample.

The dangerous-driving allegation carries a possible prison sentence of up to two years. The material available from the hearing does not state the sentence imposed on Tuesday or whether the other offences carry additional penalties. Sterling’s guilty pleas bring the central facts of the case into the open, but the legal consequences remain separate from his football career.

The Jamaican-born winger has won four Premier League titles with Manchester City, in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. He first established himself at Liverpool before moving to City, where he became one of the leading English attackers of his generation. His club career later took him to Chelsea, Arsenal and Feyenoord.

Sterling’s time at Chelsea ended with him no longer considered part of the club’s plans. He joined Arsenal on loan in an attempt to revive his career and later moved to Feyenoord, also without securing a lasting return to regular prominence. He has been without a club since leaving the Dutch side at the end of last season.

The court appearance comes during a period of uncertainty for a player whose international career has already ended. Sterling won 82 caps for England, with his last appearance coming in 2022. His record includes major tournament involvement and a long period as a regular member of the national team, although he is now outside the current England picture.

The incident adds a legal issue to the sporting questions surrounding Sterling’s next move. Any future club would be assessing a player with extensive Premier League experience, four league titles and a significant international record, but also with no club since his departure from Feyenoord and an active court case resulting from the Hampshire crash. The next stage is the court’s decision on the penalties for the offences to which he has pleaded guilty.