Pep has given England a perfect 10 in Sterling... Gareth owes him one!
FOR years now I have bemoaned the lack of English No 10s coming through the ranks.
You look at Spain and the names trip off the tongue: Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Isco, David Silva. There is a conveyor belt of Spanish creative geniuses.
In Raheem Sterling, however, England may finally have the closest thing to a master manipulator on the ball.
Sterling starts wide on the right for Manchester City but in England’s friendlies last week he was the perfect 10.
He oozed class as he strolled around the Wembley turf against Italy — linking the play, putting people through, driving England forwards. International football is often tense and cagey but Sterling allowed England to breathe in possession.
Had Pep Guardiola not come into his life, I do not believe any of this would have happened.
Last season, Sterling was simply a good player. He was in and out of the team and did not know his best position.
Thierry Henry speaks about what an education he had under Guardiola in his three seasons at Barcelona.
The City manager has worked his magic on Sterling, transforming him into one of the most serious footballers around.
He is not naturally a clean striker of the ball but that has become an irrelevance. He is getting into dangerous positions and in the box he is proving lethal.
It seemed inconceivable this time last year that he would eclipse Dele Alli. Yesterday at Stamford Bridge he was superb but his inconsistency has cost him his England place.
In terms of goals, Alli ended last season with 22 to Sterling’s 10. Now the roles are reversed, with Alli on 12 and Sterling on 21.
Never did I think Sterling would be a 20-goal player. If it were not for the remarkable feats of Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, we would be talking about him as a contender for Player of the Year.
Now, Sterling must quickly sort out a new contract at City then turn his attention to dazzling at the World Cup. If he does, Gareth Southgate owes Guardiola a huge debt of gratitude.