Machester City manager Pep Guardiola hails Raheem Sterling's maturity after 'incredible' gesture

Sterling has seen his plans to build a football academy for disadvantaged young people frustrated

Pep Guardiola has hailed Raheem Sterling's incredible" maturity after the Manchester City forward's attempts to open a football academy near his childhood home were frustrated.

Sterling, who grew up in Wembley, expressed annoyance with Brent Council on Thursday as he is waiting for the authority to respond to his plans for an academy which will help disadvantaged young people in the area.

The 24-year-old also questioned why the council is planning to sell off the Bridge Park Community Centre in Stonebridge, which he described on Twitter as "a key part of my childhood".

Sterling has previously donated money to the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire and funded school-building projects in Jamaica. His stance on this latest issue has drawn further praise, not least from his manager.

"The gesture speaks for itself," Guardiola said. "If he's more mature [now], sure in a few years he will be [even] more mature too. It's an incredible gesture.

"These kind of things are always going to come back in his private life, his own life, with the family in a positive way. He feels he can do that or he wants to do that, so in the end, nice things are going to happen in his life.

"When Raheem does this kind of gesture it's because it's going to help the people. Life was so generous and was nice for him so far, in terms of the profession he does and everything.

"He can contribute and make a better society for other people, that is incredible."

Guardiola added that he believes Sterling's off-the-pitch work can only help him on-the-pitch and claimed that the charity work of footballers often goes unnoticed.

"People say: 'No, no, people in sport cannot do anything, cannot speak about politicians, cannot do some justice'. Of course we have to do," the City manager said.

"If he believes in doing that, that's a good thing, that's nice. I appreciate it. As part of society, that's good.

"Today I think a lot of people, players not just in football but in other sports, do this kind of thing and it's important. Juan Mata, what he does with his foundation. He and many people are doing a lot of things for the kids. Vincent Kompany too.

"Many many people do these things and other people don't notice, but they do it. But I am pretty sure they do it because they feel better. It's nice, I like it."