Raheem Sterling was in fine form for England at Wembley on Friday evening, scoring a hat-trick to get 2019 for the Three Lions off to the perfect start.
A resounding 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic saw Gareth Southgate’s side begin their qualification campaign for the 2020 European Championship superbly, with Sterling the stand-out player.
Named Man of the Match, the Manchester City winger celebrated his second goal with a touching tribute to Dagenham schoolboy Damary Dawkins, a Crystal Palace fan who sadly passed away with leukaemia on Wednesday.
He lifted his England top to reveal a t-shirt with an image of Sterling with the young boy, with the 24-year-old supporting Dawkins during his illness, which also displayed a message of remembrance.
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"May your soul rest in peace," it read.
Sterling helped the 13-year-old find a suitable blood type earlier this year and he underwent a stem cell transplant in New York back in January but, unfortunately, he lost his life on Wednesday.
The night was not over for Sterling though, as he went on to score a third and celebrate his first ever hat-trick for the Three Lions.
After the game, the Manchester City winger explained his tribute.
"Damary was a kid I was trying to help," Sterling said to ITV Sport. "We thought we'd found a donor but sadly it didn't match and sadly he passed away.
"I wanted to give the family something to smile about."
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