Sterling to pay the costs of Crystal Palace youth player's funeral Premier League Damary Dawkins died of leukaemia

The funeral of Damary Dawkins, a Crystal Palace youth team player who died of leukaemia at the age of 13 in March, will be paid for by Raheem Sterling.

Sterling had known the youngster for some time and had visited him in hospital, while the Manchester City player also helped in the quest to find a suitable stem cell donor.

"Damary was a special young man who touched a lot of lives, including my own," the player said.

"Positive until the end, he was an example to us all."

Sterling even celebrated a goal for England last month by lifting up his shirt to reveal a photo of the pair.