Manchester City defender Danilo has dismissed the media controversy regarding teammate Raheem Sterling's gun tattoo.
Photographs of Sterling taking part in a training session with England this week showed an assault rifle inked on his lower right leg.
Opinion was split over Sterling's tattoo, with an anti-gun campaigner calling on the player to be dropped by Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate, while others criticised what they deem to be an unfair agenda against the 23-year-old.
Sterling, meanwhile, responded swiftly to the story with an Instagram post where he explained that the image was part of an as-yet unfinished tattoo paying tribute to his father, who was shot dead when the winger was two years old.
"Many times in football we give too much attention to tales," Danilo, speaking at Brazil's pre-World Cup training base at Enfield, told reporters.
"It is something that is up to him. It is something that he is feeling and makes sense to him."
The Football Association and ex-England striker Gary Lineker were also among those to offer their backing to Sterling.
Giuseppe Labellarte
