These days Raheem Sterling is trying to dethrone Manchester City as champions having played a part in four Premier League title wins at the Etihad.
His current boss Mikel Arteta said this week of his desire to give the winger more minutes since his loan switch from Chelsea. Sterling hasn’t featured regularly for the Gunners having struggled to have the impact he would have wanted at Stamford Bridge following his switch from City.
Still only 29, Sterling lifted all the domestic trophies available during a glittering seven-year spell at the Etihad. But his arrival in Manchester in 2015 was embroiled in controversy as he sought a move from Liverpool.
Plenty was written about his intentions, his salary and his character. Under Pep Guardiola at City those questions disappeared such were his performances. And despite plenty of second guessing on his behalf, Sterling maintained the sole reason for his desire to quit Liverpool for City was trophies.
“When I got into Liverpool I said if I haven’t won the Premier League by the time I’m 21 I need to look at my options and see what I’m doing there,” he said.
“I put that into place from a young age. And I came to City and won my first Premier League. It’s just good to know what I’ve set out to do – what we’ve set out as a team to do – is going as planned.”
Upon joining, he added: “From the first moment I heard City were interested in me [I wanted to join], purely because of the direction the football club is going in. I’m really happy to be here. I think I made the right decision.
“As a footballer playing in the Premier League for such big clubs you’re always going to have pressure but you just have to deal with that and take it in your stride.
“I’ve got my own personal goals – assist ambitions – and hopefully doing really well for this football club and trying to get trophies.”
The trophies certainly arrived for a man who has now played for all of the current Premier League top four. But it was at City where he was at his peak.
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