Keeping That Hunger On: Raheem Sterling on Criticism, Racism, and His Future | Rahim sterling

[ad_1]

For a key to Raheem Sterling’s brilliant career, which includes three Premier League titles, four League Cups, the FA Cup and voting in the Uefas Euro 2020 tournament squad, listen to what the Manchester City forward and England said Thursday.

To give me an advantage, if there’s a big game coming up, probably a little bit of criticism, then try to spin it, he said. It’s one of my best traits I mean [having] a challenge. Not necessarily something negative said, but maybe someone is saying: He hasn’t scored in a few games now, and I have one coming up. Something like that.

At City, where Pep Guardiola demoted him to team player status, and for England, when he went three years and 27 games without scoring, that steel core was evident. The drought in England ended with two goals against Spain in a 3-2 win in 2018 and he has scored eight more times in his next nine appearances. Yet, entering the European Championship, Sterling had lost his first-choice status at City. His response was to score the winners against Croatia and the Czech Republic and the opener in a 2-0 win over Germany, ending as England’s peerless player.

Sterling, however, remains focused regardless of whether the opponent is high quality or inferior. He told the US FT Business of Sport summit on Thursday: You might have a midweek Champions League game against one of the biggest teams in Europe, then on the weekends you might have to surrender in one of the teams in the relegation zone. It is having the same will and the same desire to win and to want to win.

In terms of state of mind, nothing changes. I know how I want to affect the two games, if that has [Lionel] Messi or whoever it is. Prepare, how do you sleep and just try to get all the extra 1% you can get ready.

Sterling’s self-confidence is present in the leadership he shows in dealing with racism directed at him, his fellow footballers and those in society at large. After Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka missed the final penalty shootout defeat of Euro 2020 in England, all have suffered abuse.

Asked about this, Sterling offers an eloquent answer. You come to work to do your best, to try to win a football match and to ramp up and be scored, to take a penalty for your country. I don’t think a lot of people would understand the pressure.

I sincerely believe the boys were confident. No one likes to miss a penalty, but at the same time having that self-confidence knowing that millions of people are watching you and then experiencing racist abuse after doing your best for your country is disappointing.

At the same time, my absolute concern was the well-being of my teammates. It is also a situation that builds character. These things happen in life and on the football field and I think it will eventually make us harder, but again, this is something we always talk about, it always happens.

Sterlings takes insight when asked what he thinks of his British colleague Tyrone Mings’ comments about Home Secretary Priti Patel after the final. As you will probably have noticed, I took a step back before talking about it [racism], he said. I try to take more action within the limits of what I can do, how much I can help.

We can ask for help once, ask for help twice. I shouldn’t even say help: this should be a case where we see a situation happening and it shouldn’t be allowed to happen.

If it were comments on something else, I think it would be taken a lot more seriously. I don’t think that when racist abuse is mentioned it is taken as seriously as maybe other matters.

The Fiver: Sign up and receive our daily football email.

Sterling is still only 26 years old and although he is open to City leaving possibly overseas for more playing time, retirement is already on schedule. It’s something I think about a bit, he said. I don’t want to play football and make money and then go with the wind and be somewhere in Jamaica. I mean: this is something I did and now it helps individuals come out of situations that I faced when I was younger.

He launched a foundation to help disadvantaged young people achieve their goals. His own goal? I’m trying to get better numbers than I did last season. Keep that hunger. Keep that in your stomach. This is the only way to get better.

[ad_2]