Raheem Sterling sent a letter of support to a young Manchester City fan who had suffered from racial abuse, it has emerged.

An image of the letter was shared widely on social media during City’s 9-0 defeat of Burton Albion on Wednesday night.

Sterling was contacted by the youngster’s grandmother, who said her grandson had been having “a tough time with racial abuse”.

“Remember to stand tall and be proud of who you are and don’t let them take away your courage,” Sterling wrote in the latter.

“Keep being you kid. Remember speaking up doesn’t always make life easy, but easy never changed anything.”

City have confirmed the legitimacy of the letter to The Independent.

Sterling was the victim of alleged racial abuse himself last month while playing for City in a Premier League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The 24-year-old responded by claiming that he “had to laugh” when he heard the alleged remarks and that he has come to expect “no better”.

Sterling also accused the media of “fuelling racism” with how they portray young black footballers.

“All I have to say is have a second thought about fair publicity and give all players an equal chance,” he said in an Instagram post.