Raheem Sterling fronts the new Nike advert

Manchester City and England footballer Raheem Sterling is the next sports star to front Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ campaign. It comes following an alleged racist incident against Sterling whilst he was playing Chelsea last weekend.

After the incident, Sterling took to Instagram to criticise the media’s role in furthering racism in football. In an impassioned post, he stated the media’s treatment of young black footballers ‘helps fuel racism’ and implored them to ‘give all players an equal chance’. The advert shows a black-and-white close-up of Sterling featuring the Nike logo alongside the words: ‘Speaking up doesn’t make life easier.’ ‘But easy never changed anything.’

The appointment of Sterling follows Nike’s previous appointment of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who knelt during the American national anthem in protest of the shooting of young black men by police. This latest move by Nike showcases their ongoing commitment to tackling racism in sport and starting a broader conversation.

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