Despite a strong start to the season at Stamford Bridge, the 28-year-old will need to put in a lot of effort to keep his international career alive.
Raheem Sterling was just 17 years old when he made his international debut for England. He has since developed into one of his generation’s top players. He rose to fame fast at Liverpool before going global at Manchester City. Gareth Southgate having ago positioned his name at the top of the roster.
In 82 games so far, Sterling has assisted England in scoring 20 goals and assisting 27 others, with 22 of those games taking place at significant tournaments. His contribution to his nation’s journey to the Euro 2020 final was crucial. He played the entire 120 minutes of Italy’s defeat to Croatia while also scoring goals against Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Germany.
Even though Sterling had a rocky start at Chelsea after transferring there for £47.5 million ($58 million) in July 2022, he was automatically selected for the World Cup in Qatar. His form was also all over the place in his final two years at City, but Southgate consistently supported his star striker and thought he could succeed on the international level.
Sterling hasn’t played for England in 2023, however things have changed since then. Before the matches against Australia and Italy, the Chelsea star was kept out of Southgate’s lineup for the fourth straight game. People were genuinely concerned about his future as a result.
Sterling is right to feel deceived. He was among the greatest players in the Premier League early in the 2023–24 season, and he merits a return to the England lineup.
The Three Lions’ qualifying campaign for the European Championship in the coming summer is almost complete. They will need a full-strength team if they wish to compete in Germany. Although it would be awful if Sterling missed the flight, there is a very real danger that Southgate’s odd team picks may derail England’s most recent bid to win a trophy.
Make the boss see that he is mistaken.
In his first season with Chelsea, Sterling scored nine goals across all competitions, but Todd Boehly’s squad finished last in the Premier League, a Premier League record.
The Blues spent more than £1 billion ($1.2bn) on new players throughout the course of the previous season, including Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, and Cole Palmer. After Mauricio Pochettino was appointed head coach, Sterling didn’t vanish into obscurity; instead, he has been working hard to regain his best form.
Kane was believed to be the only player who could touch Sterling for a significant amount of time because of the amount of work Sterling completed for England under Southgate’s leadership. However, the manager of England has revoked his status as one of his “favorites.” Sterling is trying everything he can to restart his international career, and other players are still selected despite their lackluster club performances.
Although Harry Maguire no longer plays a significant defensive role for Manchester United, he continues to be a consistent component of Southgate’s England back line. Both Kalvin Phillips, who left Manchester City, and Jordan Henderson, who currently plays in Saudi Arabia and appears to be long past his prime at 33, are constants.
This is a poor example because these guys didn’t merit their spots on the England team. The fact that Sterling continues to perform well for Chelsea during the season does not guarantee that he will receive another call-up to the England team.
“I don’t understand why Sterling isn’t on the England team.” “He has good and bad games, but when he does well, he’s the X-factor,” new England player Paul Merson said to Sky Sports. “You need someone new if you want to win the World Cup and the European Championship.”
If everyone gives it their all in a one-time game, he’ll adjust the rules. More than anyone else, he possesses that. He scores goals and is quick. Although he occasionally plays poorly, I don’t see why he isn’t on the England squad.
Merson, you’re heard! That lack of “X-factor” might be what prevents Southgate from capping off his tenure as manager with a genuine victory.
