Raheem Sterling Charged with Dangerous Driving and Nitrous Oxide Possession

Raheem Sterling has been charged with dangerous driving and possession of nitrous oxide after a motorway crash involving a Lamborghini, Hampshire and Isle of Wight police have confirmed.

The incident took place on 28 May on the M3 southbound near the Minley interchange and involved only Sterling’s vehicle. No injuries were reported. Officers said the 31-year-old is accused of dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen.

Sterling, who is from Berkshire, has been summoned to appear at Basingstoke magistrates court on 15 September.

It marks a stark turn in the story of a player who, for a decade, sat at the heart of England’s modern era.

Sterling scored 20 goals in 82 appearances for his country, a key figure in Gareth Southgate’s side that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2020 final.

His rise began in west London at QPR’s academy, before Liverpool handed him his senior debut and a platform to become one of the Premier League’s most dangerous forwards. A high-profile move to Manchester City followed in 2015, where he collected major honours at a relentless rate: four Premier League titles, five League Cups and an FA Cup.

The trajectory has been less smooth in recent years. Sterling left City for Chelsea in 2022 but slipped down the pecking order and spent the 2024–25 season on loan at Arsenal. After departing Stamford Bridge, he signed a short-term deal with Feyenoord until the end of last season. He is currently without a club.

Off the pitch, Sterling has been one of English football’s most prominent voices against racism. In the 2021 Queen’s birthday honours he was awarded an MBE for services to racial equality in sport, recognition for his role in anti-racism and anti-discrimination campaigns and his outspoken stance on abuse within and beyond the game.

Now, instead of preparing for a new chapter in his club career, Sterling faces a date in court and serious questions about what comes next.