Raheem: My emotions got better of me
STERLING EXPLAINS HIS ENGLAND CLASH WITH GOMEZ
RAHEEM Sterling has spoken out after he was dropped from England’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Montenegro following a clash with Liverpool’s Joe Gomez.
The City winger insisted he and Gomez had moved on from the spat, which started during Sunday’s titanic title showdown at Anfield.
Gareth Southgate’s impressive record as England manager is at risk of being overshadowed by the incident after it was revealed Sterling will not be considered for tomorrow’s game after what the FA describes as ‘a disturbance in a private team area at St George’s Park.’
Sterling later insisted he was fully behind England, despite having been dropped.
Southgate took the astonishing step after the Blues ace was understood to have continued his row with Gomez when they reported for England training at St George’s Park on Monday.
Witnesses said they heard him ask the Liverpool defender whether he was ‘still the big man,’ reports the M.E.N.’s sister paper The Mirror.
Sterling has now said he and Gomez have ‘figured things out and moved on.’
He said via Instagram: “First and foremost, everyone knows what this game means to me!
“Everyone knows that I am not that way inclined and, more to the point, both Joe and I have had words and figured things out and moved on. We are in a sport where emotions run high and I am man enough to admit when emotions get the better of me. This is why we play this sport because of our love for it - me and @joegomez5 are good we both understand it was a 5-10 second thing, it’s done we move forward and not make this bigger than it is. “Let’s get focus on our game on Thursday.” The Instagram post was liked by Gomez’s Liverpool team-mate Rhian Brewster among thousands of others. Sterling, 24, has stayed with the England squad but will not be considered the game at home to Montenegro - the Three Lions’ 1,000th international. However, it is possible he could play in the second part of the qualification double header away to Kosovo on Sunday. England boss Southgate insisted he felt dropping Sterling for the game was ‘the right thing for the team,’ saying it was crucial to
The decision has been with the agreement of the entire squad
England manager Gareth Southgate
prevent club rivalries from compromising performance.
Southgate said: “We have taken the decision to not consider Raheem for the match against Montenegro on Thursday.
“One of the great challenges and strengths for us is that we’ve been able to separate club rivalries from the national team. Unfortunately the emotions of yesterday’s game were still raw.
“My feeling is that the right thing for the team is the action we have taken. Now that the decision has been made with the agreement of the entire squad, it’s important that we support the players and focus on Thursday night.”
Sterling has been in exceptional form for England, scoring eight goals and providing five assists during Euro 2020 qualification. Gomez, who was introduced as an 87th-minute substitute on Sunday, won the last of his seven England senior caps in the Nations League third-place play-off against Switzerland.
The pair both trained yesterday morning, before Southgate brought forward his usual media appearance by 24 hours to address the burning issue. He was careful not to offer too many details - there was no elaboration on an apparent scratch beneath Gomez’s right eye, suggestions that Sterling was initially sent home before being summoned back to camp or on the role of other individuals. Instead he attempted to draw the sting from the issue, emphasising that a line was being drawn.
“Raheem in his post last night explained that for a very brief moment his emotions ran over,” explained Southgate. “It would be correct to say that that was not the same for Joe. These things happen in football. You have to find a way for the group to move forward. That needed some time and emotions to calm down.
“We have some excellent senior players who have played a part in bringing everybody together and you need as a manager to see that the group are prepared to work together moving forward and that everyone is in the right place.
“My priority is always the care of all of my players and then you have a decision to make as to whether there needs to be something further which is the right thing for the group, which was my reason for not selecting Raheem for the game on Thursday.
“In regards to whether that should have been made public or not, in the end when you’ve made a decision like that it’s going to be public on Wednesday or Thursday anyway and I’d have to deal with it then.”