Raheem Sterling Reacts to Positive Headlines After Man City Comeback at Schalke

Raheem Sterling was surprised to receive glowing reviews from the British press after he completed Manchester City's 3-2 comeback victory at Schalke on Wednesday. 

Sterling scored the winner at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen as 10-man City scored twice in the last five minutes of the match to emerge victorious in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 meeting.

And the England international joked how rare it was to be surrounded by nothing other than positive headlines:

Sergio Aguero scored the opener before two Nabil Bentaleb penalties—each awarded the through use of the video assistant referee—put Schalke 2-1 ahead. A Leroy Sane free-kick levelled the scoreline before Sterling raced clear to add a decisive third in the 90th minute.

Sterling's reaction to this latest round of headlines was in stark contrast to an Instragram post he published in December, when he commented on the way in which black footballers are portrayed in the British media.

The 24-year-old published the post in response to racist abuse he appeared to have suffered during a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea on December 8, and Sterling said some news coverage helped "fuel racism and aggressive behaviour."

The Professional Footballers' Association released a statement at the time (h/t BBC Sport) that said Sterling was singled out in the past, adding: "We have been aware for a few months of the targeting Raheem faces in the press."

City manager Pep Guardiola also praised his player for speaking up and said that "racism is everywhere," per Sky Sports.

Team-mate Benjamin Mendy was a fan of Sterling's latest post:

Sterling and City will look to defend their 3-2 lead in the second leg against Schalke on March 12 at the Etihad Stadium.