He’s become a national treasure after playing an instrumental part in getting England to the Euro 2020 finals.
So Raheem Sterling treated himself to a well-earned getaway as he enjoyed a yacht trip in Ibiza with his fiancée Paige Milian and their adorable sons Thiago, three, and 20-month-old Thai-Cruz, as well as his nine-year-old daughter Melody from a previous relationship.
The 26-year-old Manchester City winger and attacking midfielder sipped on a glass of champagne on Tuesday as he joined his family and friends on NINA Alfamarine 78 motoryacht which costs £43772 per week to charter.
Following his heroic footballing success, Raheem ensured he spent some quality time with his nearest and dearest as he treated them to a lavish getaway.
Three Lions on the shores! Raheem Sterling enjoyed a well-earned break with swimsuit-clad fiancée Paige on a £43k-a-week superyacht in Ibiza on Tuesday after helping England make Euro history
Clad in just a pair of swimming trunks, Raheem put his athletic figure on display and showed a glimpse of the various tattoos on his torso.
At his side was Paige, who wowed in an one-shouldered orange swimsuit with gold stripes and sexy cut-out detailing across the torso.
The mother-of-two injected some glamour with a gold pendant necklace and wore her long curly tresses in a low ponytail that cascaded down her back.
Daddy takes the lead: Raheem was seen throwing himself down a waterslide as he encouraged his children to follow suit
Going the distance: Paige watched on lovingly at her brood as they splashed around on the high seas
Here we go! Paige appeared delighted as she whizzed down the inflatable slide
The adorable family were joined by pals on the trip as they no doubt made the most of some downtime following the Euro 2020 tournament and the transfer day deadline.
Paige and Raheem first met back when they were teenagers during Raheem’s time with Queens Park Rangers.
It was love at first sight for the pair, with Paige quitting her sales job in JD Sports and relocating to Liverpool with the footballer after he left the club.
Orange you glad to see me! Paige wowed in an one-shouldered orange swimsuit with gold stripes and sexy cut-out detailing across the torso as she chatted away with a pal
Snap happy! Paige got the VIP treatment as the couple brought a professional photographer on board to take snaps
INSIDE THE ALFAMARINE 78 NINA MOTORYACHT WORTH €7,850.00 A NIGHT
The Sterlings have been cruising the seas of Ibiza in motor yacht NINA a well-laid out vessel built by the Italian Alfamarine shipyard with interiors by Cantiere di Fiumicino.
The yacht was launched in 2008 and refitted in 2018 and comprises three cabins, with a crew of two onboard.
The price includes: Overnight stay (minimum 2 days bookings), beach towels, complimentary soft drinks, water, beer/wine, and ice, crew members consisting of a captain and stewardess, restaurant bookings, 12 complimentary B.I.O. bags, VAT & Port taxes.
The yacht has a capacity of 12 guests and sleeps seven, is 24 metres in length and has a 5.9 metre beam. It consists of three cabins and three bathrooms and has a maximum cruise speed of 25/40.
Its engine is a 2xCAT 1,650 HP which allows for 550 l/h of fuel consumption with a fuel depth of 5.000 litres. The draught is 1.2m and the engine power is 1650.0, the fuel type is D, the fuel tank is 5000.0, the consumption cruise speed is 550.0 l/h and the max. speed is 40.0 km/h.
Cruising: The Sterlings have been cruising the seas of Ibiza in motor yacht NINA a well-laid out vessel built by the Italian Alfamarine shipyard with interiors by Cantiere di Fiumicino
The couple gave birth to their first child, Thiago in January 2017 and welcomed their second son together Thai-Cruz in 2019. Raheem fathered Melody with his ex-girlfriend, Melissa Clarke, in 2012.
Raheem popped the question to Paige in March 2018 and the couple now live together with their children in Cheshire after he joined Manchester City on a £49million transfer in 2015.
There will no doubt be plenty of interest surrounding the player after his heroic efforts in the Euro 2020 tournament, which saw the England squad reach the finals for the first time since 1966.
He carried the fight for England during a slow start in the group stages with winners against Croatia and the Czech Republic and opened the scoring in the round of 16 against Germany.
Raheem also provided a brilliant assist for Harry Kane’s opener against Ukraine and won the decisive penalty in the semi-final against Denmark.
The player, who grew up in the London borough of Brent, a stone’s throw from Wembley, was one of the undisputed champions of England’s tournament.
Family first! Raheem’s three children were having a whale of a time as they clambered up the back of the boat before jumping into the seas
‘He is a fighter, he has got an incredible resilience and hunger,’ said captain Gareth Southgate.
‘He has developed over the last couple of years this real hunger to score. Even in games earlier in the tournament where the ball flashed across the box, he has been in between the posts.
‘He is finding himself in these areas and, yes, his drive is fantastic. We know the journey he has been on with England and I am so happy for him to deliver the performances he has.
Adorable: The family and friends posed for snaps on the back of the luxury superyacht as a professional photographer took shots
‘To deliver them at Wembley will have been really special for him. The goal return is incredible. Absolutely incredible, really. So, please, keep asking the questions (about if he’s good enough) because if we cannot motivate him everyone else will certainly be able to.’
Motivation was never really been an issue for Raheem, though. The perception that he only started to knuckle down in recent years was a myth.
Even during his time at Liverpool he would put himself under ‘house arrest’ 72 hours before matches. He moved from the city centre in his penultimate season at Anfield to rid his life of unnecessary distractions.
At Manchester City the trophies have flowed, yet he lost his place in the side at the back end of last season as Pep Guardiola went for quicker passers of the ball and fewer dribblers. Sterling may be in and out for City, but for England he is indispensible.
Yet for all his footballing brilliance, Raheem insists he owes everything to his big sister.
The Three Lions star previously spoke lovingly about how his sibling Lakima, 30, devoted endless hours to him while he embarked upon his journey to the top, while their mother worked tirelessly.
Raheem said that his stepsister ‘sacrificed her life’ in order for him to succeed and that he would have been nothing without her.
In return, he said that his ‘whole mission’ as a young hopeful was to sign a professional football contract so that Lakima and his mother, Nadine Clarke, would not have to worry financially.
On an incredible £300,000 a week at Manchester City, those worries are certainly gone forever. But England’s star of the tournament overcame more adversity than most.
The player was born in Kingston, Jamaica, living in a three-bedroom bungalow with ten members of his extended family. When he was just two years old, his father Phillip Slater was shot dead after being caught up in a gang turf war.
At the age of just four, his mother left for the UK, leaving Raheem and his stepsister in the care of their grandmother Joy Morris. Two years later, the siblings moved to England to join their mother, living on the St Raphael’s estate in Neasden, north-west London.
In a 2018 article, the footballer described the hardship of his younger years as his mother worked around the clock as a cleaner to fund a degree course. He revealed how he and Lakima, known as Kima-Lee, even pitched in by cleaning toilets.
Raheem wrote: ‘My family, we were really tight. We had to be. All we had was us, you know?’
But he began catching the eye of scouts from leading Premier League clubs such as Arsenal at the age of ten or 11. Enticed by the prospect of signing for one of the world’s biggest teams, Sterling recalled his shock when his ‘warrior’ mother said she thought it would be a bad decision.
Writing in The Players’ Tribune, he said: ‘She knows how to make it in this world. She’s probably the most streetwise person I know.
‘She said, “If you go there, there’s going to be 50 players who are just as good as you. You’ll just be a number. You need to go somewhere where you can work your way up.”’
Nadine convinced him to sign for the less glamorous Queen’s Park Rangers, which he describes as ‘the best decision I ever made’.
Doting daddy: Earlier in the day Raheem was seen cradling his son as he carried him onto the luxury liner
Gearing up: The group all looked excited as they prepared to board the boat for a day of sun, sea and fun