Raheem Sterling’s critics should know better than to write him off. Nobody should be surprised at the winger’s response to being booed off during Chelsea’s calamitous home defeat by Wolves this month. It was typical of Sterling to win back his place in Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI and disrupt Manchester City’s title charge by scoring against his old team last weekend.
Adversity is nothing new to the 29-year-old. Sterling has been the victim of racial abuse. He has been a pioneering figure away from the pitch but there is still a sense that some people are waiting for him to fall. Even now, nine years on from his move from Liverpool to City, the idea persists that Sterling is driven less by a hunger to succeed on the pitch and more by the size of his bank balance.
