According to The Athletic, former Manchester City and England winger Sterling recently pleaded guilty in court to dangerous driving and possession of Class C drugs, nitrous oxide (laughing gas). A judge warned that he could face a prison sentence on 25 November. From a Premier League champion and World Cup player to facing potential imprisonment, Sterling's fall has been shocking, but a fundamental question remains unanswered: what truly brought him to this point?

As Sterling prepared to leave the courthouse, a staff member beside him conveyed that a small group of photographers was waiting outside.

After one of the most humiliating experiences of his life, it was time to face the cameras. "If I were you, I'd walk backwards," someone said.

Sterling had just been told by the district judge that he could be sent to prison when he returns to Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on 25 November, after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and possession of Class C drugs, nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas).

In other words, for a player who had recently won the Premier League title with Manchester City, represented England at the World Cup, and received an MBE from the late Queen for his services to football and racial equality, the worst may still be to come.

Admittedly, after details of reckless driving on the motorway emerged in court, few people are willing to defend someone in this position – or more accurately, willing to hear any excuse about bad luck.

Sitting in Court One during his trial, you could get a close look at the madness of Sterling's state of mind before he crashed his car after taking drugs during the early morning rush hour on 28 May – because madness is truly the only appropriate word.

We saw dashcam footage that further explains why one of the drivers who called police said he was genuinely concerned someone would die.

We heard that in 67 minutes from 07:45 to 08:52, a series of 999 calls drew three police units to Sterling's £270,000 Lamborghini, which was weaving through traffic, often far exceeding the speed limit, while he inhaled gas from a balloon behind the wheel.

We saw damage to the vehicle after he finally left the road on the A327 in Hampshire, and most shockingly, we heard that he had been driving dangerously and out of control long before he even reached the motorway. In fact, the first 999 call came at 01:10 when he accelerated into a McDonald's drive-thru in Hayes, North London, and began inhaling gas from a balloon while waiting for his food. Sterling later admitted he had not slept all night.

However, we never received detailed answers to the inevitable questions that arise from such cases.

Sterling, what happened? What brought you to this point? Where did things go wrong? And, perhaps most importantly, what lessons can football learn from this?

Before that, it may be fairer to refrain from certain judgments. Let us not fall into the assumption that simply because clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool pay Sterling astronomical salaries, he is immune to the vulnerabilities others face.

It is not easy to be a footballer who is not playing, and Sterling has had to confront everything that comes with it in ways he never imagined during recent years – the loss of status, the erosion of identity, a sudden sense of inadequacy. At 31, his career appears to be over, or at least very close to it. He has not found a new club since leaving Feyenoord in the Eredivisie at the end of last season. This is a painful and very public fall.

This is not to justify his reckless behaviour behind the wheel, which could have caused a more serious, potentially fatal incident on the M25 and M3 motorways. Only luck and the actions of others prevented potential casualties.

But it is also important to clarify whether Sterling's problems stemmed from his final season at Chelsea, when he was exiled and not even allowed to train or interact with his former teammates.

Sterling did not play a single match for Chelsea for seven months and ultimately had to hire a personal trainer to maintain his fitness. Again, this does not entirely justify his poor decisions. However, it may give us better insight into his mental state, the reasons for his lack of professional focus, and why he struggled to make any positive impact after joining Feyenoord (which was supposed to get his career back on track).

For now, the only real certainty is that if a talented and famous footballer endangers lives in this way and tells police he has a "problem" with nitrous oxide, then clearly everything has gone very wrong.

His defence team will argue that a probation sentence is sufficient, meaning he would not go to prison as long as he does not offend again during a specified period. Perhaps the judge will be lenient and agree that his early guilty plea, combined with the absence of any previous criminal record, should save him from imprisonment.

However, when you consider that this individual was, not long ago, held up as a role model by many people, and not only because he appeared twice in the top 15 for the Ballon d'Or (2019 and 2021), the case remains deeply troubling. Whatever the decision in November, Sterling has severely damaged his reputation.

This may be the most tragic aspect, particularly given years of discussion about media coverage of Sterling and the headlines that could attract attention to a successful young Black footballer.

Many of us defended him back then. We argued that he should be accepted, and that it was we, not him, who needed to change.

But today, trying to defend him is far more complicated. The headlines will be harsh, and rightly so. When the verdict is handed down, whatever the judge decides, it will be the same again. And the danger here is that amid all the commentary, the core issue may be lost: that there is a young man who admitted he has a "problem."

In court, nearly four months after his arrest, it was not explained whether this problem still exists. Or whether "problem" is another word for "addiction." But you would hope the PFA and other relevant organisations are working to ensure this is addressed. Because it is quite possible that Sterling needs not just punishment but also help.

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