Sterling: My lifestyle lessons

As Manchester City prepare to face title rivals Chelsea, live on Sky Sports, the England international opens up to Geoff Shreeves about his quest for consistency and how a change in lifestyle is paying dividends…

It’s not exactly a surprise that Raheem Sterling is pleased Gareth Southgate has got the England job, but his reasoning sounds more thoughtful than someone trying to get on the right side of a new boss.

“It’s really pleasing to hear he got the job…he has come up to the senior team and played some really good football,” says the 21-year-old.

“The game against Spain [2-2 friendly draw] really said a lot. Most managers would probably think let’s sit back and try and catch them on the counter, but he wanted to make sure we knew that he thinks we can play from the beginning.

“That was really pleasing to hear from the England manager. To be really focused and wanting to be the dominant team in the game.”

For his club, Manchester City, Sterling has already completed as many games this season as he did in the whole of the last, and is now finding the consistency and contentment he’s been searching for.

When I ask him what he has done to achieve it he says it is more of a case of what he’s not doing.

“The environment is really good and I am keeping myself to myself, keeping away from certain stuff I was doing last year,” he said. 

“It’s doing me the world of good so that’s what I need to keep doing. I am enjoying my football.”

Sterling smiles when reflecting that he now realises his football was suffering …

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