LONDON – Former England international winger Raheem Sterling, one of British football’s most decorated recent players, has been taken into custody on suspicion of multiple driving and drug-related offenses following a single-vehicle crash on a southern England motorway, Hampshire Police confirmed Saturday.
The incident unfolded shortly before 9 a.m. GMT last Thursday on the southbound carriageway of the M3 motorway, near Hampshire’s Minley Interchange, where Sterling’s Lamborghini collided with highway barriers. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, and no injuries were reported by first responders or police.
Authorities confirmed the 31-year-old, who lists a Berkshire address, was arrested on four allegations: driving while unfit through drugs, dangerous driving, possession of a Class C drug, and failing to provide a required specimen for testing. He has since been released on bail as investigators continue their inquiries, police said in an official statement.
Close to a week after the crash, a source close to the player has spoken out to contextualize the situation, telling the UK’s Press Association that Sterling has been grappling with severe mental health strain over the past two years. The source added that the former Premier League star has recently felt devalued and overlooked amid a turbulent stretch in his career, describing the psychological pressure he has faced as “immeasurable”. The source also stressed that Sterling’s arrest is based on suspicion alone, noting that no conclusive evidence of controlled substances in his system has yet been confirmed.
Sterling boasts one of the most successful club and international careers of any English player of his generation. He earned 82 caps for the senior England men’s national team, scoring 20 goals and playing a key role in the team’s run to the 2018 FIFA World Cup semi-finals and the 2020 UEFA European Championship final, the Three Lions’ first major tournament final in 55 years.
His club career began with a senior debut at Liverpool, before a high-profile 2015 transfer to Manchester City, where he established himself as one of the top attacking players in the Premier League. During his seven-year tenure at City, Sterling helped the club lift four Premier League titles, five EFL League Cups, and the 2019 FA Cup, cementing his status as a core part of the club’s dynasty under manager Pep Guardiola.
In 2022, Sterling moved to Chelsea in a blockbuster transfer, but he struggled for consistent first-team minutes and fell out of favor with the Blues’ coaching staff. He spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Arsenal, before leaving Chelsea permanently earlier this year. In February, he signed a short-term contract with Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord, where he made eight Eredivisie appearances before his recent arrest.