LONDON — England has offered its support to Raheem Sterling after the winger got a tattoo of a gun on his right leg.

The 23-year-old forward posted a picture of himself training with his England teammates ahead of the World Cup, with a tattoo of an assault rifle clearly visible on his right calf.

In a post on Instagram, Sterling said "when I was 2 my father died from being gunned down to death. I made a promise to myself I would never touch a gun in my life time, I shoot with my right foot so it has a deeper meaning."

Sterling has received criticism from anti-gun campaigners.

The Football Association said Tuesday "we all support Raheem Sterling and acknowledge the honest and heartfelt account he gave via Instagram."