Raheem Sterling pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and possessing nitrous oxide after bodycam footage captured him with laughing gas canisters in his wrecked Lamborghini.
The former England international, 30, admitted both charges in court on Tuesday following the May crash in southern England that left his $360,000 Urus with a destroyed tire. Sterling, who earned 28 caps for the English national team, was sitting in the passenger seat of the damaged vehicle when police arrived, large canisters resting on his lap.
“You can put that down mate,” an officer told the dazed-looking winger in footage released after his guilty plea. The former Chelsea star had been seen holding an inflated white balloon while driving erratically prior to the crash, weaving through motorway traffic during rush hour before striking a gate in a layby.
At least six canisters were recovered from the vehicle following the collision. The officer on scene refused Sterling’s request to make a phone call, instead ordering him to provide his name and address. “Put your arm behind your back,” the officer commanded as the soccer star tensed up during the reading of his rights.
The bodycam captured Sterling’s agitated state as police processed him at the crash site. The officer also instructed him to stop “tensing up” while his rights were being read.
Sterling’s dangerous driving charge carries a maximum sentence of up to two years in prison. He additionally refused to provide a specimen to authorities.
The winger is currently without a club after Dutch side Feyenoord released him at the end of last season. His career has spanned stints at Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, and most recently the Rotterdam-based club.
The incident adds to a difficult period for the former Premier League star, who had been driving his high-performance vehicle erratically before the crash that left at least six nitrous oxide canisters in police hands.
Sterling had been holding the inflated white balloon while behind the wheel during rush hour traffic in southern England, the footage showed, before losing control and hitting the gate.
Sterling is due to be sentenced for the charges.