CITY Raheem showing he gets better with age
RAHEEM Sterling believes his development as a player is down to a greater maturity and understanding of the game.
The 23-year-old was a key member of City’s squad as they stormed to a record-breaking Premier League title win last season.
Sterling’s scoring form played a key role in the domestic success, with the education he received from Pep Guardiola, crucial in taking his game to the next level.
And the England international believes the positional advice he has been given by Guardiola has played a massive part in his change of fortunes.
“My game has evolved in terms of being more mature,” Sterling told the official England YouTube channel. “When I was younger I just wanted to run with the ball every second I got it.“I’m now better with my decisions and I’m finding myself in the box more. I’m trying to finish my chances and that’s what has happened for me this year.
“I used to just dribble and stay wide, and now I am in the box a lot more getting more opportunities.
Sterling has looked bright during the World Cup in Russia, and while the forward is frustrated not to have found the back of the net so far, he insists team success is his main priority this summer.”
He continued: “In the World Cup I want to be part of a squad, of a team, that can do something amazing for the country, and hopefully go all the way and win it for the country.”
Sterling has been unable to carry his remarkable scoring form over into the national team as of yet, lasting scoring for England against Estonia in October 2015.
It is testament to Sterling that his performances have already impressed numerous managers at international level, and with the confidence instilled in him at club level, Guardiola does not believe there is any limit to his footballing abilities.
“What I like most, as a manager, is that the players provide [Sterling] with as many balls as possible,” Guardiola said.
“If he needs the ball to create one action, give him, 10, 20, 25, to have more chances to create more.
“Sometimes we judge him about ‘he missed that goal,’ ‘he missed again that shot,’ but the amount of actions he creates, he creates fouls, penalties, because he’s so fast and quick, sometimes he is unstoppable in those situations.
“And the most magnificent thing is he is 23 years old, so he is Raheem Sterling still focused, keeping the desire to get better, as a player. “His understanding of the game is global: he’s a guy who can create inside, make a movement outside, dribbling, runs in behind. “Still he misses simple balls still, and he has to be more aggressive in this kind of things.”