12 November 2023 , 08:30
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Raheem Sterling will go head-to-head against Manchester City for the fourth time since his departure as Chelsea face Pep Guardiola's side on Sunday.
Sterling, 28, decided to leave City in July 2022 for a fee of £47.5million, having won several major honours, including four Premier League titles at the Etihad. Sterling also scored 131 goals in 339 appearances after joining the club from Liverpool eight years ago.
However, Sterling was displeased with his lack of game time in his final season and admitted that was part of the reason behind why he switched Manchester for London. Speaking to Sky Sports at the time, Sterling said: "Everyone wants to feel wanted, football is no different.
"When you play your heart out, sacrifice some of your kids' birthdays, and then get treated in a certain way, it's disappointing. At the time I was fuming, raging, but it's gone, it's in the past and I can only focus on the present."
Having also lost Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko in the same summer, Guardiola defended the club's decision to let go of the trio including Sterling. "If you force one person to stay when he doesn’t want to stay how can you get the best from him? It's impossible," he said in August 2022.
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"I wouldn’t want to move anyone on now. I love this squad I have. I feel comfortable training with them because after six, seven years we know each other incredibly well. In the bad moments I know how they react; they are incredible professionals.
"I would love to stay all together but at the same time the transfer window ends in 10-15 days and if a player wants to leave then we will find a solution. Which one, I don’t know but we will find it."
Raheem Sterling and Pep Guardiola in April 2022 (Getty Images)It's safe to say Sterling's maiden season at Stamford Bridge didn't go to plan. He scored just nine goals in 38 appearances and struggled for form under Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard.
But since the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino in the summer, Sterling has found a new lease of life. He has scored four times and grabbed two assists in 13 matches so far this season. That still hasn't earned Sterling an England recall, however, with the attacker left out of the Three Lions' squad for November's Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.
It means Sterling has not been included in the last five squads by Gareth Southgate since the World Cup last winter. Explaining his decision not to chose Sterling, Southgate said: "The door is 100 per cent open not only for Raheem but for other players in this squad.
Raheem Sterling playing for England at the World Cup last November (Getty Images)"There’s no doubt about that. We don’t need to know about his quality, his personality. He is a crucial part of why we’ve had the journey we’ve had over the last few years. I can only repeat what I’ve said in the last few squad selection meetings: the team are playing really well.
"We had an exceptional win against Italy last time around. Who do we leave out to put him in? It is as simple as that really."
Despite his England exile, Sterling's focus will be firmly on facing former club City on Sunday as Chelsea try and continue their recent up-turn in form. The Blues have lost just one of their last seven matches in all competitions and earned a 4-1 victory over rivals Tottenham on Monday.