RAHEEM’S AN ENGLAND CAPTAIN IN THE MAKING
IT IS not surprising to hear that Gareth Southgate is considering naming Raheem Sterling his captain for England’s Nations League semi-final against Holland this summer. Sterling has progressed under Pep Guardiola, becoming a leader on and off the pitch. Guardiola wants nothing more than to educate his players and help them reach their potential. He is a master at teaching wide players how to get behind defenders, and Sterling has clearly taken his manager’s instructions on board. The England winger showed that when he gave City a 5-0 lead over Watford by creeping in behind an unsuspecting Jose Holebas. If Sterling can continue to learn from Guardiola as he has done over the last few seasons then the sky is the limit
for the 24-year-old. The City boss clearly thinks he has more to give. Even after full-time at Wembley Guardiola could be seen speaking to Sterling, giving him some one-on-one coaching there and then. That is the City manager’s insatiable appetite to make his players even better than they already are. Guardiola deserves great credit for the performances he has got out of Sterling and his other stars. It is not easy to manage modern-day players but he has kept them hungry for success.