Raheem Sterling’s star continues to rise, and as if to emphasise that fact he is now the focus of Nike’s latest Just Do It ad. Titled ‘Don’t Just Dream For You. Dream For The Next You’, the ad sees the Manchester City man returning to Brent, where his own dreams all began in the shadow of Wembley stadium.
Over the last few years, Raheem Sterling’s influence has grown both on and off the pitch, to the point where the 24-year old is able to speak out on topics where others may shy away. It places him in an incredibly influential position, enabling him to be an inspiration for the next generation. And Nike have been only too quick to recognise this, making his story the focus of their latest Just Do It ad, placing more weight behind the suggestions that he is set to sign a new deal with the Swoosh.
For over 30 years, Just Do It has celebrated athletes that believe sport has the power to move the world forward. Athletes chosen to star in these campaigns (think Colin Kaepernick and Serena Williams), are known not just for their performances in their field, but also their actions and words off it, and Sterling has grown into the perfect example of this.
The ‘Don’t Just Dream For You. Dream For The Next You’ ad takes Sterling back to Brent, the borough of London in which the England star grew up, visiting the school he once attended, the fences he climbed, the pitches and streets where he played, and the sacrifices that his family made. Through it all his narrative reflects on what makes kids like him the way they are. But the ad also hints at a deeper story.
Brent played an important role in Sterling’s childhood and now he’s stepping up for the next generation of young people from the borough. Sterling scored the winning goal at the 2009 London Youth Games to get Brent the gold medal. Since then though, Brent struggle to enter the tournament year on year through lack of funding and facilities. In partnership with Nike and as part of the greater commitment to London Youth Games, Sterling will be the driving force behind initiatives in Brent that will drive enablement to better serve young people in the borough.
Speaking about the initiative, Sterling said: “Brent means everything to me; growing up there, having friends from different backgrounds, learning about different cultures and taking that with me. It was always my dream to play in the Premier League, play for England. Having Wembley in my backyard, it was always a dream of mine to play there. I’ve always wanted to give back to the community that I grew up in and give them an opportunity. This partnership with Nike and Brent Schools FA is an opportunity for me to provide guidance and the right help so a lot of kids can have the same dream as me.”
