Pep’s lifting Sterling to new heights
Battle for Manolo
everyone feel they are all one, whether you are starting or not. Everyone’s hungry, everyone’s ready to run for him, play for him.”
Sterling admits he has learned some valuable lessons from last season when he was criticised for his displays on the pitch and for his lifestyle away from football.
He said: “I didn’t come into the season thinking, ‘I want to show everyone’, but just to concentrate on my football. That’s the most important thing.
“People will talk and stuff like that, but the most important thing for me was to come in and do well under the new manager and impress here. I knew if I kept working hard I would get my chances.
“Every day I’m learning. Last year was a massive learning curve for me. It’s something that I will definitely take into every season with me, to remember that sort of stuff and just to move forward from it.
“Sometimes you do well and sometimes you are not at your best. I just made a promise to myself that when I come back at EVERTON are still pushing to land Napoli’s Manolo Gabbiadini despite having a £19.6million bid rejected.
Napoli want a replacement for the Italy striker before Wednesday’s deadline.
Everton boss Ronald Koeman also remains the start of this season I am going to work hard and try to be as consistent as I can.”
City’s early season performances have prompted favourable comparisons with Guardiola’s old club Barcelona. Sterling can understand why but admits the hard running needed for the system to work effectively is very demanding.
“The manager’s got his style and he’s trying to put his football into play,” he said. “It’s exciting. There are some things we need to work on but as the season goes on we will just get better.
“He will bring the best out of the whole team, not just me. He will definitely push everyone to do better. We are hungry, ready, and pushing to win the games.
“It is a challenge. He puts his system into play, likes a certain way to play and when everyone is working hard together it’s a plus and you get the rewards for it.
“I’m enjoying my football and I am enjoying winning games.
“This is the season that you will see me working my hardest, that’s for sure.” interested in signing Sunderland centreback Lamine Kone, who would cost £20m.
But the club remain reluctant to sell James McCarthy, who is wanted by Sunderland, Leicester City, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion.