England footballer Raheem Sterling defends 'disgusting' assault rifle tattoo

Raheem Sterling has defended his new tattoo Credit: PA

England forward Raheem Sterling has defended his new tattoo of an M16 assault rifle on his leg after it was branded "disgusting".

The 23-year-old, who plays for Manchester City, posted a picture of himself training with his England team-mates at St George's Park, with a tattoo of an assault rifle on his right calf clearly visible.

Lucy Cope, who founded Mothers Against Guns after her son Damian was shot dead outside a club in central London in July 2002, said the ink was "totally unacceptable".

She told the Sun:

But the former Liverpool player, who is among five England strikers heading to Russia for the World Cup, alluded to the tattoo having a "deeper meaning".

In a post on Instagram, he said:

An FA spokesperson said on Tuesday afternoon: