STERLING’S LOVING IT!
Pep talk at Euros made Raheem relight his fire
RAHEEM STERLING insists he didn’t head into the season determined to make his critics eat their words.
Instead the Manchester City winger made a promise to himself, vowing there would be improvements. And he has certainly delivered. Sterling, 21, struggled to justify his £49m price tag as he failed to hit the heights at the Etihad following his switch from Liverpool last summer. A nightmare Euro 2016 campaign with England followed, Sterling taking most of the flak – despite his age and inexperience – for the failings of Roy Hodgson’s team. He even tweeted he was #thehatedone as fans focused on his performances with England going from bad to worse before getting knocked out against minnows Iceland. Sterling is now #thelovedone at City following his stunning start to the season, with his two goals against West Ham in the 3-1 win on Sunday the highlight so far. 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 but the most important thing for me was to do well under the new manager and impress here. I knew if I kept working hard I would get my chances.
Impressive
“It’s something that I will definitely take with me into every season, 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. “Every day I’m learning, last year I was learning, it was a massive learning curve. I just made a promise, something that I said to myself, that when I come back at the start of this season I am going to work hard and try to be as consistent as I can.”
Sterling’s impressive form so far has seen him start all three of City’s Premier League games on the right side of midfield.
Under new boss Pep Guardiola, who was aware City were signing him 12 months ago before he took charge at the Etihad, Sterling has recaptured the freedom to express himself that he enjoyed at Liverpool.
Guardiola got in touch with Sterling during the Euros to try to pick him out of the slump.
Sterling said: “It was a big lift. The manager has been in the game a long time, won stuff, worked with young players and great players.
“He knows how to get the best out of his players and he’s been a massive help – not just for me but for the whole team.”