Raheem Sterling--Young Lion by Tom Oldfield

Author:Tom Oldfield [Tom and Matt Oldfield]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781784187972
Publisher: John Blake Publishing
Published: 2015-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

LEAVING LONDON

‘Hi Raheem, nice to meet you. I’m Sandra and this is Peter. Welcome to your new home!’

In Liverpool, Sandra and Peter seemed like really lovely people, but Raheem could already tell that it would be very strange living with people other than his mum and siblings. As his new ‘house parents’ showed him to his room, he felt like everyone he loved was a long way away. He could feel tears filling his eyes but blinked them away. As soon as Sandra and Peter left him to settle in, he called home.

‘Hi, son,’ Nadine answered straightaway. She was glad to hear his voice. ‘Everything OK? How was the journey? How’s your new room?’

‘It’s a lot bigger than my old one but… it’s not the same,’ Raheem replied. He didn’t want to cry or worry his mum. It would just take some time to get used to his new situation. ‘It feels really weird not having you guys around. You will come and visit, right?’

‘Of course! As soon as you know when your first match is, we’ll be there to cheer you on. It’s only two-and-a-half hours on the train.’

Raheem had found it really hard saying goodbye to all his friends in London. He would miss all of the football matches in the parks around Wembley and at Copland Community School. He had learnt so much there and he had a lot of people to thank for helping him to stay out of trouble.

That night, Sandra cooked Raheem’s new favourite meal: mac and cheese with salad. His mum must have told them on the phone. Over dinner, they talked about him growing up in London and his love of football. The food was great and the couple made him feel right at home. Peter was a big Liverpool fan, so he was excited to have a future star living in their house. ‘You said you play on the wing? Well, when you become the next Stanley Matthews, don’t forget about us! A free ticket every now and then would be nice!’

Raheem laughed – he didn’t know who Stanley Matthews was but he promised that he’d get Peter a season ticket if he became an Anfield legend. They watched a bit of television together and then it was time for bed. It took Raheem a little while to get used to his new bed but he was soon fast asleep at the end of a very long and tiring day.

The next morning it was time to start at his new school. Raheem used to hate school but since his days at Vernon House, he was much happier in class. Football had really helped with his concentration and he was a clever kid when he tried hard.

Sandra dropped him outside Rainhill High School.

‘Good luck, Raheem! Hope it goes well today,’ she shouted to him as he walked towards the gates.

It was always hard to start again at a new school but luckily there were quite a few other Liverpool Academy players at Rainhill.

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