Raheem Sterling discusses Pep Guardiola's influence and admits he has nothing to prove
RAHEEM STERLING insists he didn’t head into the season determined to make his critics eat their words.
Posted Tuesday, August 30, 2016 by Dailystar.co.uk
Instead the Manchester City winger made a promise to himself, vowing there would be improvements.
And he has certainly delivered.
Sterling, 21, struggled to justify his £49m price tag as he failed to hit the heights at the Etihad following his switch from Liverpool last summer.
A nightmare Euro 2016 campaign with England followed, Sterling taking most of the flak, despite his age and inexperience, for the failings of Roy Hodgson’s team.
He even tweeted he was #thehatedone as fans focused on his performances as England went from bad to worse before getting knocked out against minnows Iceland.
Well now Sterling is #thelovedone at City following his stunning start to the season, his two goals against West Ham in the 3-1 win on Sunday the highlight so far.
"I didn’t come into the season thinking, ‘I want to show everyone’ but just to concentrate on my football, that’s the most important thing,” he said.
"People will talk and stuff like that, but the most important thing for me was to do well under the new manager and impress here. I knew if I kept working hard I would get my chances.
"It’s something that I will definitely take with me into every season, to remember that sort of stuff and just to move forward from it.
"It’s part and parcel of the game. Sometimes you do well and sometimes you are not at your best.
REBORN: Sterling has been in good form this season
"Every day I’m learning, last year I was learning, it was a massive learning curve for me.
"I just made a promise, something that I said to myself, that when I come back at the start of this season I am going to work hard and try to be as consistent as I can.”
Sterling’s impressive form so far this season has seen him start all three of City’s Premier League games on the right-hand side of midfield.
He has recaptured the freedom to express himself that he enjoyed at Liverpool under new boss Pep Guardiola, who was aware City were signing him 12 months ago before he took charge at the Etihad.
The Spaniard has put Sterling’s rejuvenation down to feeling the love at the club.
He was the one who got in touch with Sterling during the Euros to try to pick him out of the slump.
Now he is working directly with the talented England international, last season’s drop-off in form seems a distant memory.
"It was a big lift,” said Sterling when asked about Guardiola getting in touch when he was in France.
"The manager has been in the game a long time, won stuff, worked with young players and worked with great players.
"He knows how to get the best out of his players and he’s been a massive help. But not just for me, but the other players as well, the whole team.
"It’s good to have a manager that not only talks to me, but makes the whole team feel really welcome, makes everyone feel they are all one, whether you are starting or not.
"Everyone’s hungry, everyone’s ready to run for him and play for him.”
Three wins from three in the Premier League so far and qualification for the Champions League comfortably secured, it has been a promising start for Guardiola as well as Sterling.
"As the season goes on we will just get better and better,” said Sterling. “He will bring the best out of the whole team, not just me.”
Continue in this form and there may well be a more positive hashtag on Sterling’s Twitter account come the summer.
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