Former England international Raheem Sterling has been charged with dangerous driving and possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation after crashing his Lamborghini on the M3 in Hampshire earlier this year.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed the charges stem from a single-vehicle collision that occurred on the M3 southbound carriageway, close to the Minley Interchange, on the morning of Thursday, 28 May. According to police, no other vehicles were involved in the crash and there were no reported injuries.
The 31-year-old, who is from Berkshire, faces three charges: dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation, and failing to provide a specimen. Sterling was arrested at the scene and subsequently released on bail while police carried out further inquiries. He is scheduled to appear before Basingstoke magistrates court on 15 September.
A police spokesperson said officers had initially suspected Sterling of driving while unfit through drugs, though that allegation has not been included among the formal charges brought against him. A source close to the player told the BBC in the aftermath of the incident that there was "no proof" of drugs in his system, and described the player as having endured "an extremely tough couple of years," during which he had been made to "feel worthless" and "forgotten about."
Sterling currently finds himself without a club. He left Dutch side Feyenoord at the end of last season, having joined the club in February on a short-term contract after departing Chelsea by mutual consent. His time at Feyenoord came after a turbulent period at Stamford Bridge, where he was frozen out of the first-team squad and forced to train separately following his return from a loan spell at Arsenal during the 2024-25 campaign.
Chelsea had paid £47.5m to sign Sterling from Manchester City back in 2022. His move to Stamford Bridge followed a hugely successful seven-year spell at City, during which he won four Premier League titles, five League Cups and one FA Cup. Before that, Sterling made his name at Liverpool after progressing through the QPR academy, establishing himself as one of English football's most prominent attacking talents.
Sterling earned 82 caps for England between 2012 and 2022, scoring 20 goals and featuring at three World Cups and two European Championships. He was part of Gareth Southgate's squads that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-final and the Euro 2020 final. In 2021, he was awarded an MBE for services to racial equality in sport, recognised for his prominent role in anti-racism and anti-discrimination campaigns throughout his career.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport and The Guardian.