Raheem Sterling will pay for the funeral of Crystal Palace youth player Damary Dawkins, who died in March aged 13.

Manchester City winger Sterling supported a campaign to find a suitable stem cell donor for Damary, who had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

"Damary was a special young man who touched a lot of lives, including my own," Sterling said.

The England international, 24, plans to attend the funeral on Friday.

He described Damary as "an example to us all" who was "positive until the end".

The teenager's family had set up a GoFundMe page to raise £15,000 to give Damary the "best send off and celebration of life".

In March, Sterling lifted his shirt to reveal a picture of the two of them together after scoring his second goal in England's 5-0 win over the Czech Republic.

Damary's father, Tony, said Sterling's shirt tribute was "very, very touching".

"I knew they used to speak because [Sterling] came down to the hospital," he said. "They played pool together and apparently they swapped numbers."

"I remember when Crystal Palace played Manchester City and they lost - Damary put on his tracksuit with the Crystal Palace badge and took a picture to send to Raheem. They had banter with each other."

According to an appeal page, Damary did receive a stem cell match a few days before Christmas but he relapsed in February.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48011165

Kind heart... football speaks many languages

OK

The beautiful game ought to speak one langauge, LOVE and Sterling is doing just that. Kudos to him.

logon599:
Good one from Sterling. He has been in the news for the right reasons recently. And he speaks with maturity too, the way he addresses certain sensitive cases won him my respect. And he's also nominated for PFA player of the year. He has come a long way at such a young age. Good role model for upcoming players to follow

True talk

R. I.P to the lad..

Class act from a Manchester player
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Meanwhile, on the other side of Manchester.........

15000 pounds for a teenager my guy that is too much. Even Niger when them dey waste money on dead body no go reach like that

Who will pay for dead Manutd

That's wonderful

Sterling......Thats what life should represent........Noble one bro

Ultralexo:
15000 pounds for a teenager my guy that is too much. Even Niger when them dey waste money on dead body no go reach like that

You think they sell 20k casket there?
Or they bury at their backyard?

Sterling, you be matured guy and good heart con join am. May God continue to dey enrich you.

No be like our own Sterling Bank here wey dey remove money anyhow

Raheem is fast turning a beast, and a Philanthropist too.

RIP to the deceased.


My United Fans, GGMU.

Very outstanding behavior from sterling.

Good man on and off the pitch.. Wonderful gesture Raheem

Sterlinq is indeed a rare qem in d round leather qame.

This humanity

Ezechinwa:
Who will pay for dead Manutd

Well as a fellow manutd fan well bad Belle is all owed, aftetall I have done my own fair share

Nice act, God bless him.

God bless him even more if he donated money for the boy's treatment while he was still alive.