Raheem Sterling’s Recent Comments Have Only Added Fuel to the Fire After He Was Dropped for Chelsea’s Clash Against Man City
When Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca decided to drop Raheem Sterling for their Premier League opener against Manchester City, many fans were left scratching their heads. With Sterling featuring in all six of Chelsea’s pre-season games and being deemed “one of our most important players” by Maresca himself, his omission from the squad came as a surprise.
In an interview posted on Chelsea’s website, Sterling had some interesting things to say that have only added to the debate surrounding his exclusion from the starting XI. When asked about his influence on the team, Sterling claimed that he was “really dedicated” to the club, and that he was working to “replicate some of the successes” he had in the past.
Sterling’s camp had previously released a statement expressing their disappointment at his omission from the squad, which read: “Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years. He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with.”
The statement continued: “He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s fixture in some capacity.”
Sterling himself didn’t shy away from talking about his ambition to win silverware for Chelsea, saying: “I’m pushing and working to achieve that, and to get Chelsea where they deserve to be. There are times when you win every year and times when you don’t win trophies. This football club more than not has been winning trophies. That’s the standards of Chelsea Football Club.”
He added: “We as a group are really determined to get back to those winning ways, and getting that exciting feeling of challenging for stuff and winning stuff back for the fans.”
The debate surrounding Sterling’s exclusion from the squad will surely continue, but one thing is clear – the 29-year-old is still hungry for success and is willing to put in the hard work to achieve it. Follow us on all social media platforms for more updates on this story and all things football!