In football, never say never. No one ever envisaged Messi playing in the shirt of another club besides Barcelona. Such are the times we are in that it doesn’t get stranger than this.
English players plying their trade outside of England was a rarity and seldom thought of. Within English circles, it was seen as cutting oneself from opportunities in the national team. However, things have changed with several players willing to test their qualities in foreign lands.
Several names of players who have tested the waters outside come to mind. Michael Owen, Steve, Mcmanaman, David Beckham all made moves outside England, and recently Jadon Sancho, Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham have all made the bold move.
The relative success enjoyed by these players seems to have won over Raheem Sterling, who is not averse to a move abroad.
Sterling eyes move abroad
With the pressure Sterling is going through at the Etihad, the English international hasd to give thought to playing abroad.
Minutes on the pitch have been hard to come by these days, and Sterling has confessed that he won’t mind a move away from the Etihad, with a move abroad an experience he would like to enjoy.
Speaking with the Financial Times Business of Sport US summit in New York as quoted by Goal, Sterling opined that he would be ready to try his hands in another team if the opportunity arises. According to him, he needs to get more game time as football is important to him.
He said one of the challenges he has set for himself as a kid is playing abroad. He claims that all he knows is the Premier League but has always harboured the thought of playing abroad someday.
Tough times at Manchester City
It’s been six years since Sterling joined Manchester City. He arrived at the Sky Blues in 2015 from Liverpool for a fee of around £50 million ($68m).
Sterling quickly integrated himself into Guardiola’s team. He helped the Spanish gaffer win three Premier League titles, the Carabao and the FA Cup.
Things haven’t gone according to the script for the English international in recent times as he has fallen down the pecking order at the Etihad. Sterling has found game time hard to get with Jack Grealish, a British record signing moving ahead of him in order of importance.
In the pursuit of Harry Kane in the summer, Sterling was suggested as a makeweight. It displeased him, and after initially claiming his readiness to fight for his place in the team, Sterling is now open to moving abroad. In a similar vein, the club is open to selling him as well.
Sterling spoke about his lack of regular minutes, claiming he’s not the type of person to complain. According to him, he’ll just get on with his work.
Barcelona have reportedly indicated an interest in Sterling with Real Madrid, another possible option.
By :
