Manchester City and England star Raheem Sterling bought dinner for two homeless women while popping into a takeaway, according to The Sun.

Life is as hard as it's ever been for some people in Britain leading up to Christmas but there's no doubt we're seeing some incredible acts of kindness from leading Premier League stars. 

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has driven a campaign to end child hunger in the UK since the spring, while Chelsea defender Reece James has been working with the Felix Project to provide meals for schools and charities in London. 

And although Sterling's actions may not have had such a widespread impact, it was nonetheless a poignant gesture of kindness at Christmastime.

According to The Sun, Sterling popped into Chicken Delite in Slough and quickly enquired about two homeless women begging outside. 

He asked the shopkeeper, Wasib Arif, if he could buy food for them rather than simply handing over some cash, and then proceeded to spend around £40 - before handing over the grub to the homeless women. 

Sterling is said to have also tipped the staff at Chicken Delite £20 before disappearing off into the night. 

Of course, that sort of money is mere pennies to a footballer who takes home £300k per-week, but as Wasib himself explained, it was Sterling's humility that was so touching. 

He told The Sun: "He just strolled in so casually in a T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms. He picked up his bags of food and walked out. He could have had someone pick it up for him. He was really humble... a lovely gentleman."

Footballers are often seen as out-of-touch with the modern public, protected by the bubble that Premier League fortune and fame creates as they retreat to their suburban ivory towers. 

But the hardships of 2020 have shown that many of them are as devoted as anybody to helping those in need, whether that's hungry children across the UK or simply someone begging on a local high street. 

On the pitch, meanwhile, it's been a somewhat underwhelming season for Sterling. A return of six goal involvements in eleven games is a little below his usual standard, while Manchester City sit at a mere eighth in the Premier League table. 

With some good karma now in the bank though, maybe we'll see Sterling back to his best in the near future.