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Raheem Sterling: I’m at Peace with Myself and Striving for Greatness at City
- Updated: December 29, 2016
Football has always been my passion, but I didn’t play in a real game until I was 10.
Before then, I would just kick a ball against the wall outside my house every single day. It was a ritual.
I eventually started playing in matches and tournaments after joining a local youth club. And within a year, I was picked up by Queens Park Rangers.
It was a strange time. When you’re a good footballer as a kid, word gets around quickly. Newspapers wanted to know about me. Kids from other schools knew who I was. It was a lot to take in.
When it came to matches, I would hear kids talking. That’s Sterling. He plays for QPR.
They would target me, but I took pride in knowing I could get the better of them. And I began to realise I was very good.
At the age of 14, QPR began playing me in their under-18s. I scored on my debut and then went on a good run…I scored in 16 games in a row. That’s when I realised I had a future in the game. I was actually playing centrally in those days…so maybe I should get back there!
I think it helped that I had my own style and developed my trade outside of a club.
I see kids now, like my little brother. When they train, there seems to be pressure on them—even though they are eight years old. I never had that.
I was teaching myself, learning skills alone. It’s good that kids learn to become technical, but I’m a big believer in having …
