Spurs defender claims Sterling-Gomez bust-up ‘not a big deal’

Joe Williams
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Danny Rose of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on September 01, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Visionhaus)

Tottenham defender Danny Rose doesn’t think the bust-up between England duo Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez is “a big deal”.

Having clashed towards the end of Liverpool’s 3-1 win against fellow Premier League title challengers Manchester City on Sunday, a still simmering Sterling was involved in a fracas with Gomez at St George’s Park the following day.

The incident took onlookers aback and the 24-year-old Sterling admitted “emotions got the better of me” in a late night social media post that followed the Football Association confirming the forward would sit out the Montenegro qualifier.

Sterling stayed with the group and apologised to team-mates at a meeting on Monday night, then trained as usual the following morning.

Gomez appeared to be sporting a cut close to his right eye in the session with rumours that he could have picked it up off another team-mate that was trying to break them up.

“It is not a big deal,” Rose told talkSPORT.

“We know there was something and people’s safety and how they are feeling is vital but, to me, it happens every day up and down the country within football.

“Is that right? No, it is not right but it happens and it can happen – emotions run high and you may say something.

“I have said a lot of things out of anger and frustration and you may do things out of anger and frustration – it is not right but once you have had time to calm down and assess everything you shake hands and move on.

“For me, it is just business as usual. We trained as usual and the gaffer was great in training, Steve Holland and all the coaching staff and all the lads trained well so it has just been a normal day.”