Raheem Sterling is amazed at the way Leroy Sane can fall asleep anywhere, even on the team coach travelling a few hundred yards from Manchester City’s training ground to the Etihad Stadium for a game. ‘Super-chilled,’ says Sterling, in admiration.
Perhaps Sane’s laid-back approach has been an inspiration to his partner-in-crime. Sterling has over-thought things in the past, by his own admission, but this term the erratic finisher has been replaced by an ice-cold assassin, with 13 goals in 20 club appearances already a career-best tally.
He ended last month with three important late winners in a row and will be key for unbeaten City in Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford, the most important Premier League fixture of the season so far.
Raheem Sterling says he no longer overthinks things – leading to his new deadly scoring streak
Sterling is set for a central role as City take on fierce rivals Manchester United on Sunday
Sterling described Leroy Sane as ‘super-chilled’ – an attitude that may have helped him
‘Before, it was pure excitement: “Oh my God, I am in front of goal. I am about to score here… Aargh! I’ve missed,”’ says Sterling candidly.
‘I would always look back at the chances afterwards and ask [blows out cheeks]: “Why am I rushing so fast? Why are my legs moving so quick?” ’
The transformation is made clear by watching his goal against Feyenoord that sealed City’s position as Champions League group winners. With two minutes left, he ran clear to coolly convert a pass from Ilkay Gundogan.
‘I had a look to see where the keeper was and knew I had an extra second,’ he said. ‘I actually took my time, relaxed and looked where I could put the ball. In the past, if that pass had come through to me, straight away I would have just kicked it.’
Sterling’s natural gifts were evident very early on. Liverpool paid QPR an initial £600,000 for the winger when he was just 15 and two years later he was in the England team. Last Friday, that kid celebrated his 23rd birthday and entering his peak under Pep Guardiola.
Sterling fondly recalls his goal against Feyenoord in the Champions League this season
Sterling’s ability has been clear for many years – he was an England international at 17
‘I’ve come to a point in my career where it doesn’t matter if I dribble or nutmeg someone. The only thing that matters is whether I was decisive, did I put the ball in the back of the net today and did it help the team win,’ he says.
City have beaten 14 of their 15 Premier League opponents so far this season and drawn with the other one, Everton – but United and Jose Mourinho will be the acid test.
For Sterling, there is added personal history. Mourinho once denied him the league title with a tactical masterclass as Chelsea manager against Liverpool. In addition, Sterling has not scored in a dozen games against United, most notably when David De Gea performed heroics in a 3-0 win against Liverpool at Old Trafford in December 2014.
‘I should have scored a hat-trick,’ says Sterling. ‘De Gea made one great save, then I tried to go round him and he’s blocked it.
‘After that game, I shaved my hair off. “You’ve got to go!” I scored two against Bournemouth in the cup the next game. I still remember not scoring against United. You always want to score in the big games.’
Sterling has benefited from the coaching of Pep Guardiola, who has corrected his technique
Sterling recalls being repeatedly denied by David de Gea when he faced United at Liverpool
He shaved his head after that game – and scored twice in the next match at Bournemouth
The hair-shaving incident offers insight into Sterling’s personality. Considered arrogant by those who wanted him to stay at Liverpool, he is actually intense to the point of punishing himself for failure.
He once refused the chance of being driven to a Liverpool Under-18s game because he wanted to travel by bus, having failed to score in his previous game. He wanted to rediscover that feeling of suffering he had had as an even younger player at QPR, when it took a journey by bus and train to make it to the matches.
‘That was part of my mentality. If you don’t score, what happens? You sulk on the bus the whole way back,’ he says. ‘I knew if I didn’t score, I would have that hour-and-a-half trip back to feel moody, but if you get a goal, you’re going to be happy.’
He still has the same obsession to improve at City but the methods are more outreaching, less introspective.
Sterling rejects any suggestion of arrogance or a stereotypical ‘blingy’ mentality
He feels that his time at Liverpool taught him a lot about how he came across to people
‘I have a massage two or three times a day. I’ve realised your body needs it playing games three or four days,’ he says.
‘At one time, I didn’t think I needed an ice bath or stuff like that. Why? I’m 18 and I feel all right, but you do need to get your body right, your nutrition right.’
Sterling has his own chef, who speaks to City’s dietary experts, and has two goals in his garden for extra practice. He has a defiant response to anyone who thinks he fits the image of a flashy twenty-something footballer with more money than sense.
‘Bling is not for me. When I was young, mum pierced my ears, so I got an earring, but I went to Liverpool, the way it came across wasn’t right so I took my earring out,’ he says. ‘I realised that is the society we are in. People judge you straight away.
‘Going to Liverpool helped a lot. Certain things like white cars when you’re 17 is not a good look. I made sure I didn’t get a white car as well. I’m not the sort of person that wants to be in someone’s face.
‘I literally just tried to play football. I’m not trying to be blingy. It was never about having the nice car to drive. My first objective when I became a professional was to buy myself a house, my mum a house and a house in Jamaica [where he was born].’
Sterling has his own chef, who speaks to City’s dietary experts, in order to stay in top shape
The attacker beleives Guardiola has given him the freedom to express himself in the final third
Only two weeks ago, in the middle of his golden run and four years after he nearly won the league with Luis Suarez and Steve Gerrard, did he treat himself to a first expensive watch, a Rolex. Off-pitch, Sterling spends as much time as possible with 10-month-old son Thiago.
His football habits are a little more adventurous. Brazil great Ronaldinho remains his football idol. ‘It was all fun and games with him — it looked like he was playing against friends in the park,’ says Sterling. ‘You saw everyone else working hard — and he was just doing what he wanted, but at the same time, he won matches.’
The closest modern equivalent for him is Neymar. ‘He’s got no manners,’ says Sterling, as a compliment. ‘Takes liberties.’
City are England’s great entertainers. Guardiola, who helped make Lionel Messi a global superstar, has built a team on course for a record Premier League points and goals haul, and possible Quadruple.
‘He [Guardiola] just helps you to play. He tells the forwards, “You’ve got the ability, I can’t tell you what to do in the final third — just go on and win us the game”.’
Sterling is an admirer of Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar – saying he plays ‘with no manners’
He is also fond of Ronaldinho, who he said played as if he was against friends in the park
Sterling credits the City boss with improving his own game, right down to some technical basics. Sterling always used to like trapping the ball dead with the outside of his foot before Guardiola pointed out it interrupted the momentum of the attack.
‘One touch, open up quicker,’ he explains. ‘I was just getting sloppy, into bad habits. He switched my brain back on.’
Sterling’s contract will enter its final two years once he finishes the World Cup with England next summer. There is bound to be the usual cat and mouse in such big negotiations.
Sterling is settled with City but has a wider outlook than the average English player, possibly due to moving from Jamaica to London at the age of five, then north to Merseyside at 15.
‘I’m happy at Man City,’ he says. ‘But nobody knows what the future brings so one day, definitely, it would be nice to play abroad. It would be a great experience.
‘Spain’s attractive. Anywhere the weather is nice really!’ Not Arsenal though, despite Arsene Wenger’s interest in him last summer when City wanted Alexis Sanchez. ‘Nah, can’t be in London. I can’t be near my friends,’ he quips. ‘They got to stay down there.’
Sterling has two years left on his City contract and is open to a move abroad afterwards
Of more pressing concern is the challenge of United. City lead them by eight points and if they win or draw it will increase chatter about their chances of emulating Arsenal’s unbeaten 2003-04 season. Despite the high stakes, Sterling seems almost relieved at the lack of hatred around the Manchester derby compared to the Liverpool-United games in which he has been involved.
City and United players also get on well at England camps, with Sterling spending time with Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard playing Call Of Duty. Of course, friendships will cease during 90 minutes, and only after the game will Sterling be able to enjoy his one special birthday request: a Costco cake. ‘I’ll demolish every bit of that,’ he promises. ‘Just don’t tell the chef.’
As for future ambitions, the one-time worrier sounds every bit as relaxed as his team-mate Sane. ‘More life. That’s it,’ he says. ‘Just enjoy life, enjoy football, enjoy the time. If you’re not enjoying it, what’s the point?’