Raheem Sterling
Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling has admitted that consistency is the key to being in the right frame of mind for a game of any magnitude. Sterling, who was unable to help England avoid a disappointing 1-1 draw against Hungary in their latest 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday evening at Wembley, has experienced playing in some of the biggest matches that football has to offer, including the Champions League final, the final of Euro 2020 and a World Cup semi-final. Playing in those types of matches requires a great amount of qualities, both physically and mentally, with games of such magnitude often having an overriding emotional feel about them. But while Sterling no doubt relishes playing in the Champions League on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening, he has also admitted that you have to have the same desire to win when playing a Premier League game against, for example, a side battling to avoid relegation to the Championship.
Raheem Sterling said: “Consistency. You might have a Champions League game mid-week against one of the biggest teams in Europe, and then at the weekend you might have to travel to one of the teams in the relegation zone. It’s having that same will and desire. Going to Champions League and then doing the same thing on a cold day somewhere where a team is fighting for survival. It’s that consistency. To win and want to win.”
Although Sterling has lit up the Etihad Stadium for City and the Wembley Arch while on England duty, the former Liverpool man has faced his fair share of criticism throughout his career, most of it which has been unjustified. How that gives him a boost and a possible advantage ahead of a game,
Raheem Sterling added: “To give me an edge? If there is a big game coming up, probably a little bit of criticism to try and spin it. It’s one of my best traits. Not in that sense. I mean a challenge. A challenge. Not necessarily something negative but maybe somebody said he’s not scored in a few games now and I’ve got one coming up. Something like that.”
