Raheem Sterling is at the centre of a second drugs controversy after the Liverpool forward was videoed passing out after allegedly inhaling nitrous oxide.
The England forward, who was exposed after he was caught puffing on a shisha pipe, will face a club investigation over why he was taking the legal high, which is also known as ‘hippy crack’.
In footage obtained by The Sun, Sterling is seen sucking on an orange balloon then laughing and giggling before he asks one of his friends to give him another hit. When the camera pans back to the 20-year-old, he is either unconscious or has fallen asleep.It is claimed that the video was taken at his Southport home days before a game. Nitrous oxide starves the brain of oxygen and makes users feel light-headed and dizzy.
Sterling scored in the 2-0 victory over Newcastle but could face disciplinary action after his second indiscretion in 24 hours.
Liverpool said: ‘We are aware of the story and intend to speak to the player. Any subsequent action will be taken internally.’
Sportsmail contacted Sterling’s agent, Aidy Ward, last night. He refused to comment but did not deny the story was about his client.
Nitrous oxide has been nicknamed laughing gas due to the euphoria and relaxed feeling people who inhale it sometimes experience.
Official figures show 460,000 16-24-year-olds took it last year but it has also been the cause of 17 deaths since 2006.
The past two months have been a tempestuous period in Sterling’s fledgling career. He has turned down a new deal at Liverpool worth about £100,000 a week but does not want to resume talks until the end of the season.
His contract stand-off has created tension and he was heckled at the club’s new kit launch last week.
Possession of nitrous oxide, which costs about £2, is not illegal. Nor would Sterling be the first footballer to indulge.
Tottenham’s Kyle Walker was pictured inhaling from a balloon in 2013, while last year Saido Berahino was photographed doing it at the wheel of his car.
It is an increasingly popular recreational drug, which has also been used by Prince Harry, Michelle Keegan and Ricky Hatton.
A pocket of fans on the Kop vented their frustrations last night, chanting ‘Raheem Sterling, your agent’s a k***’ during the first half and were widely applauded.
Sterling infuriated Liverpool at the start of the month when he gave an interview to the BBC — without permission — to talk about his contract wrangle and why he did not want to be perceived as a ‘greedy 20-year-old’.
He has been linked with a summer move to Arsenal — something he said was ‘quite flattering’.
Sterling was excellent in last week’s 1-0 win over Blackburn in the FA Cup, with manager Brendan Rodgers describing his display as outstanding.
And last night Sterling’s speed and trickery caused Newcastle’s defenders plenty of problems but he still wasted two glorious opportunities in the second half.
Asked on Saturday about the prospect of some fans turning on Sterling, Rodgers said: ‘I’m here to talk about football. ‘That’s my focus, he has got a strong character, the kid, and he loves playing here. That’s my only focus.’ – Daily Mail