Raheem Sterling’s fall from England star to free agent leaves career at a crossroads
From England’s brightest prospect to a free agent
Raheem Sterling’s career has taken a stark turn. The forward is without a club and awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty at Basingstoke magistrates court to dangerous driving and possession of nitrous oxide. The contrast with his former England teammate Harry Kane—still setting records for his country, the Guardian reports—is at the heart of a profile examining how Sterling’s rise gave way to a prolonged public decline.
The Guardian’s account follows Sterling from a childhood in Stonebridge and Queens Park Rangers’ academy to a Liverpool first-team debut at 17. Mark Anderson, the Liverpool youth scout who helped bring him to the club, recalled a player with “passion and desire” and the ingredients to become an international. Though slight, Sterling held his own in training alongside senior defenders, while Steven Gerrard later described him as mentally tougher than some might have expected.
A talent at his peak—and a reputation under pressure
Sterling’s refusal of a new Liverpool contract became a public controversy, amplified by his agent’s remarks about the size of a possible offer. Liverpool sold him to Manchester City, where he flourished under Pep Guardiola. The Guardian cites seasons in which he produced 23 goals and 14 assists in 2017-18, 25 goals and 16 assists in 2018-19, and 31 goals and 10 assists in 2019-20. He was named the Football Writers’ Association’s footballer of the year in 2019 after helping City win a domestic treble.
He also played a decisive role for England at Euro 2020, scoring twice in the group stage, opening the scoring against Germany in the last 16 and winning the penalty that led to England’s semi-final winner against Denmark. Yet his success coexisted with intense scrutiny. He became a target after England’s Euro 2016 defeat by Iceland, and later spoke publicly about racism in football and the media. The profile describes how criticism and racial abuse shadowed him even as his performances established him among England’s leading players.
Chelsea upheaval and a difficult search for a fresh start
Sterling joined Chelsea in 2022 as Thomas Tuchel’s priority signing, on a five-year contract reportedly worth £325,000 a week. Tuchel was dismissed seven weeks later, and Sterling subsequently worked under several managers amid wider instability at the club. Chelsea decided to move him on in summer 2024. Two days before the 2024-25 season began, Enzo Maresca told him he was not in his plans; Sterling was left out of the squad and made to train separately from the first team, according to the Guardian.
The report says Sterling had made clear he wanted to remain in London for family reasons, and Chelsea agreed to a loan to Arsenal. His only goal during that spell came in a Carabao Cup match against Bolton on 25 September 2024, which the article identifies as his most recent professional goal. After returning to Chelsea, he had limited prospects of playing and eventually agreed to leave, with the club buying out the remaining 18 months of his contract at a reduced fee.
A move to Feyenoord under Robin van Persie did not provide the reset he wanted: the Guardian describes a hostile reception from some supporters and a disastrous spell. The article compares Sterling’s trajectory with Michael Owen’s, another celebrated young forward whose career waned as his pace diminished. At 31, Sterling is now left seeking a route back into football while facing the consequences of the legal case.
The profile draws on people who worked with or knew Sterling, while noting that some sources asked not to be named. Their assessments differ: one called him a “lost soul,” while another described him as “polite and charming” and “quite bashful.” The Guardian also reports criticism of his punctuality at Chelsea, alongside claims from people close to Sterling that he had no recorded disciplinary action there. Together, those competing accounts underline the uncertainty around what went wrong—and whether he can rebuild his career.