Raheem Sterling's baptism: A fresh start before North London derby
Raheem Sterling, the star of the England national team and Arsenal, has been baptised, publicly declaring his faith in God and "cleansing" himself of past sins.
The ceremony took place at the Caribbean Baptist Church in London, where Sterling, dressed in white, was fully immersed in water by two senior priests, accompanied by gospel songs.
Sterling, who hails from Jamaica and is currently on loan to Arsenal from Chelsea, delivered an emotional speech, emphasising that baptism is, for him, a public declaration of faith and a way to heal from past selfish and bad habits.
Raheem said a few words which were incredibly powerful and moving. He understood this was a public declaration of his faith and an opportunity to cleanse himself of any ego, or bad habits of the past - said his friend, quoted by the newspaper "The Sun".
He received the sacrament in London. Now he's set to play a high-profile match
Sterling is preparing to make his debut for the new club during the North London derby against Tottenham today (15 September).
He was loaned from Chelsea at the last moment and included in Mikel Arteta's squad after Chelsea made it clear that they were looking for a new club for him. Chelsea still covers a large part of the player's salary during the loan.
Arsenal, which is trying to close the gap to Premier League leaders Manchester City, especially count on Sterling, particularly in the absence of key players: Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, due to suspension and injury.
