Raheem Sterling has finally left Chelsea after being ousted at Stamford Bridge, but now he has a chance to prove he’s not done yet
Raheem Sterling locked in at Chelsea (Image: Getty Images)
Raheem Sterling deserves better recognition than his clumsy exit from Chelsea. Sterling had a glittering career, winning four Premier League titles with Manchester City and earning 82 caps for England. Brilliant talent.
He has also been a strong voice on racism and is a leader in the dressing room and someone other players look up to and look up to.
He must remember this as he leaves Stamford Bridge after three and a half years in which he did not make the choices that everyone had envisioned.
Now, as a free agent, Sterling has the freedom to choose his next move carefully and is open to any offers, whether within the Premier League or overseas.
read more: Raheem Sterling leaves stardom at Chelsea, finally released after months in the wildernessread more: Former Liverpool star in talks to become manager of Champions League club
Although he is 31 years old, he is still ambitious and has the great speed and ability that has taken him to the top of English football.
And at least the outcome is good for everyone involved, as Chelsea have agreed to terminate the remaining 18 months of his £325,000-a-week contract.
Additionally, Sterling is free to find another club and take on new challenges. He was reluctant to move if it meant uprooting his family from London, but now that he can put down roots, he is more flexible.
Soccer players have very high salaries, but they still have families and they still want to succeed. No one can seriously imagine that Sterling would have been content with just having the remainder of his contract remaining.
He is far too talented, but it would be extremely devastating to leave a rotting player with no hope of ever playing anywhere near the first team again.
Suddenly: Raheem Sterling leaves Chelsea (Image: Getty Images)
Sterling is extremely bright and intelligent and takes pride in being a role model for young people through his philanthropy. It should never be overlooked.
He has also been a forceful voice on racism, exposing and speaking out about the disparity in the treatment of some players and bringing about significant change.
All of this seems like a nod to a player at the end of his career who actually feels he still has a lot to offer.
He is a very talented player and he has to be the best in his position to play for Liverpool and then Manchester City under Josep Guardiola.
City fans chanting “Raheem Sterling, he’s at the top of the league” were a mockery of supporters of other clubs who didn’t think highly enough of him.
He proved time and time again for England that he is a great dribbler, a big goal scorer and a big game player. Roy Hodgson was selected as England’s number 10 at the 2014 World Cup when he was still a teenager.
Sterling was named England’s best player at the 2021 Home Euro and has always been passionate about playing for his country.
He could have stayed at City in 2022 but instead moved to Chelsea for £50m, but this time the timing was bad. The club quickly changed direction under different owners, scrapping the old contracts and hoping for a new style of longer contracts and lower base salaries.
Suddenly, Sterling was caught in a slipstream at the start of the 2024/25 season and was further out in the cold, moving to Arsenal, where he was largely unseen but showed glimpses of old-school magic.
This is the unfortunate story of modern soccer. However, Sterling is not meant to be portrayed as the film’s villain. The club that signed the contract should respect that. You can’t just bully and force players out when it suits you.
Sterling was right to stand up for himself and his family. He has the talent and mentality to rise again. He deserves to be remembered as one of England’s best players of his generation – because that’s exactly what he was.
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