Sterling in danger of becoming a pariah for England

Perhaps the most notable thing about England's dire end-of-season friendly against Ireland in Dublin on Sunday was the treatment dished out to England winger Raheem Sterling, who was booed mercilessly by the Irish crowd.

The 20-year-old has garnered a welter of bad headlines in recent weeks after turning down a new contract from Liverpool and agitating for a move away from Afield, and it was clear that his recent antics had not gone down well in Ireland, where Liverpool have a strong following.

Afterwards England coach Roy Hodgson, who was spotted yawning during the match, acknowledged that Sterling was going through a "bad time publicly" but added: "He's going to have to work harder still and get a thicker skin than he has at the moment."

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It didn't help that the game, which ended 0-0, was so poor. It only highlighted Sterling's shortcomings as he failed to provide England with any kind of spark.

Sterling "suffered at the hands of his club's considerable local support and was withdrawn midway through the second half with form and confidence clearly shattered", reports The Guardian.

At the World Cup in Brazil it appeared that Sterling was blossoming into a star. "Not now," says Jason Burt of the Daily Telegraph. "Now Sterling appears a player desperately in need of a rest and desperately in need of sorting out his club future... He needs to sign up or make sure he moves on because this cannot carry on for the 20-year-old. He is suffering. His form has collapsed."

The afternoon was "chastening" for Sterling, writes David Kidd in the Daily Mirror. "When you play in Dublin and find yourself being booed with more strength of feeling than the sound of God Save The Queen, you are not a popular man," he points out.

"It may have been the sizeable number of Irish Liverpool fans who were booing the England winger. It may be that Sterling has simply become symbolic of everything supporters hate about young footballers," he adds, but either way it is clear Sterling is becoming a "pariah".

But things could get worse for Sterling, warns Mark Irwin in The Sun, because his performances are not up to scratch.

"In 15 matches for England's senior team, Sterling has scored only one goal. He cannot test the patience of England fans for ever," he writes. "Sterling and his advisors would do well to take note of the reception he received in Dublin. Because the next time it might not just be the opposing supporters who are giving him the bird."