Sterling has had a rollercoaster ride in his 10-year, 79-cap England career... but he has become a key player who steps up at big tournaments
IT is a stat to make you feel old. Incredibly, today marks 10 years since Raheem Sterling made his England debut.
He is still only 27 yet goes to the World Cup as one of the team’s elder statesmen.
And no one should doubt his impact on the Three Lions in the past decade.
Sterling made his debut on November 14, 2012 in a 4-2 defeat to Sweden in Stockholm remembered for Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s spectacular overhead kick.
He has had remarkable ups and downs while earning 79 caps, going from teenage prodigy, the self-proclaimed “Hated One”, to being a key player in the amazing run to the 2018 World Cup semi-final.
Sterling was England’s best player at last year’s Euros, scoring three times, including the opener in the 2-0 defeat of Germany.
No matter what is happening at club level, he steps up for his country.
He has become vital for the Three Lions and easily has 100 caps within his grasp, which would put him into an elite group of players destined to become all-time greats.
When Gareth Southgate names his starting XI to face
Iran a week today, Sterling’s name will still be at the front of his mind.
He is a trusted performer and, after Jordan Henderson, the second most senior player in this squad.
Sterling has played with members of the Golden Generation such as Steven Gerrard, Frank
Lampard, Ashley Cole and John Terry.
And then become a leader himself on and off the pitch as someone younger players look up to.
His stand on racism led to an appearance on Newsnight to put forward the players’ views and explain why not enough was being done. He has become a spokesman for a generation.
It is obvious Sterling has yet to produce his best form for Chelsea since his summer move from Manchester City. He missed Saturday’s defeat at Newcastle through illness but will be fit to fly to Qatar today.
Yet he had not been starting regularly for City in the build-up to the Euros and had the tournament of his life, underlining his single-minded attitude when it comes to England.
Sterling wore the No.7 shirt on his debut which immediately put pressure on his young shoulders, following in the
footsteps of David
Beckham. He played 85 minutes of the friendly in which Steven Caulker, Leon Osman, Ryan Shawcross, Carl Jenkinson and Wilfried Zaha also made their England debuts.
None of the other five went on to have memorable England careers, winning only two more caps between them.
Sterling, meanwhile, quickly became a huge part of Roy Hodgson’s set-up and to underline his prodigious talent he started the first game of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as England’s No.10.
The 2016 Euros was a low point but Sterling made a massive contribution in the 2018 World Cup. But it was in October that year when his England career hit new heights.
He ended a three-year international goal drought by scoring twice in a 3-2 Nations League win in Spain and from there he has never looked back.
When Harry Kane was struggling for form and fitness going into the Euros, it was Sterling who delivered. No regular England watcher ever doubted Sterling because he always delivers in the Three Lions shirt.
And there should be no doubt he can do it again in Qatar.