STERLING: I CANNOT WAIT TO PLAY AND THEN POP TO MUM’S

RAHEEM STERLING is looking forward to banging in the goals for Chelsea — and then nipping to his mum’s for Sunday lunch.

The London-raised £50million new boy, speaking from the club’s US tour, added that he was now mature enough to ensure that the capital would not become a distraction and vowed to win trophies at Stamford Bridge following his switch from Manchester City. ‘Every time I get back to London it is a surreal feeling,’ the former Liverpool winger, 27, said. ‘When I first went up north I never really used to come down much — my family used to always come up so I could stay focused on work. ‘Sometimes London can be a distraction. But I am old enough now, mature enough. For my kids and family, it is going to be a big opportunity for us to spend more quality time with my mum, their grandmother and be closer together. ‘You know what it is like. You score or you win a game, pop round to mum’s and have some Sunday dinner and pop back up. It is lovely.’

Sterling believes he has joined a side who can challenge for top honours.

‘The club has already got that winning mentality but it is about doing that every single year and keep winning more and more trophies and building on previous seasons — and that’s what top managers like Thomas Tuchel do.’

Sterling was racially abused by a Chelsea supporter — who was subsequently given a life ban — at Stamford Bridge in December 2018. But he said he had felt nothing but love since completing his move earlier this month.

‘I would say thank you for your warm welcome,’ he replied when asked if he had a message for the fans. ‘It is an exciting time for me. I know how much more I have to offer. I still feel within myself that there is another step that I will be fighting to get on to and this is the perfect platform for me to do that. I can do that in person at the Bridge for many years to come, banging the goals in.