Radio review Guest edit of Today programme leaves out much of Sterling's story

If a guest edit by the England footballer Raheem Sterling was intended to cut through the surfeit of Covidflavoured items that make up the Today programme in 2021, then the news agenda had other ideas. With panicked updates on PCR test shortages and reduced isolation times dominating, it was 40 minutes into Sterling's special episode before we encountered any of his contributions.

- Hannah J Davies

Once they had begun, however, it was clear what Sterling's key themes would be: social mobility, his efforts to inspire the next generation with his charitable foundation, and the feats of the England Euro 2020 squad in the face of appalling racism.

From Jamaica - where the 27-year-old was born - we heard about his efforts to help young people out of deprivation. Presenter Amol Rajan then spoke to football coach Clive Ellington, an early mentor to Sterling, who highlighted the need to consider the mental health and wellbeing of children who are being primed for sporting success.

During the first two hours of the programme, there was much talk of overcoming barriers in society, especially educational ones, but no deeper discussion about why these barriers exist.