Raheem Sterling

Early life

Raheem Shaquille Sterling was born on 8 December 1994 in Kingston, Jamaica to a Christian family, and spent his early years there. His mother, Nadine Clarke, was previously a competitive athlete in the Jamaican national athletics team: Sterling credits her for his unique running style. His father was murdered in Jamaica when Sterling was two years old. At the age of five, he moved to Neasden, London, with his mother, and attended Copland School in Wembley, north-west London. Due to behavioural problems, Sterling spent three years at Vernon House, a specialist school in Neasden. While growing up, he was a supporter of Manchester United, although went on to play for their biggest rivals.

Club career

Early career

Sterling spent four years with local youth team Alpha & Omega before signing for Queens Park Rangers, at age 10, as a winger. Sterling was subsequently scouted by the academies of Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Liverpool and Manchester City. However, he was encouraged by his mother not to choose clubs in the locality to escape the hostile gang culture in London.

Liverpool

Sterling was signed by Liverpool from the academy at Queens Park Rangers in February 2010 by then academy director Frank McParland and Rafael Benítez, for an initial fee of £450,000, with the possibility of rising up to £2 million depending on how many appearances he made for the first team.

He initially played in the club's youth team, making his debut in an under-18s derby match against Everton. Sterling scored his first goal for Liverpool in a friendly match against Hibernian, which ended in a 2–2 draw. His first Premier Academy League match was a 2–2 draw against Aston Villa, with his first win coming at home to Bristol City a week later. On 15 December, he scored in the FA Youth Cup in a 4–0 win over Notts County. On 14 February 2011, Sterling scored five goals in a 9–0 win over Southend United.

On 24 March 2012, Sterling made his senior Liverpool debut as a substitute in a league match against Wigan Athletic, aged 17 years and 107 days, becoming the third-youngest player to play for the club. He made two more appearances over the remainder of the campaign, again as a substitute.

In August 2012, he made his European debut for the club, coming on as a substitute in a UEFA Europa League qualifying match against Gomel, replacing Joe Cole in a 1–0 away win. The following week, Sterling scored his first goal for the senior team with a first-half strike in a friendly against Bayer Leverkusen. On 23 August 2012, he started his first match for Liverpool in a Europa League qualifying match away to Heart of Midlothian in a 1–0 win. He was given his first start in the league three days later in a 2–2 draw at Anfield to Manchester City. He played the full 90 minutes in the loss to Arsenal on 2 September, and the draw with Sunderland on 15 September, where he registered one assist and was named man of the match. On 19 September, Sterling was one of the group of teenagers that travelled to Switzerland to play Young Boys in a UEFA Europa League group match. He replaced Stewart Downing in the second half as Liverpool won 5–3. On 20 October, Sterling scored his first senior competitive goal for Liverpool in the 29th minute of a 1–0 league win against Reading with a strike from the edge of the box. As a result, he became the second-youngest player to score in a competitive fixture for Liverpool, behind only Michael Owen.

On 21 December 2012, Sterling signed a contract extension, committing his future to Liverpool. He scored his second league goal for the club on 2 January 2013, opening the scoring in a 3–0 win against Sunderland with a lob over goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

Manchester City

On 12 July 2015, a deal was agreed for his transfer to Manchester City for an initial £44 million, with a further potential £5 million in add-ons, subject to personal terms and a medical, which made him at the time the most expensive English footballer ever. On 14 July, Sterling officially joined Manchester City, signing a five-year contract. His debut came on 10 August, starting as City began the season with a 3–0 win away to West Bromwich Albion. Nineteen days later, Sterling scored his first competitive goal for Manchester City in a 2–0 win against Watford at the City of Manchester Stadium. Sterling scored his first career hat-trick as City beat Bournemouth 5–1 on 17 October.

On 3 November, Sterling scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 3–1 win away to Sevilla. On 8 December, he scored twice in the final ten minutes of City's last group stage fixture against Borussia Mönchengladbach, helping turn a 2–1 deficit into a 4–2 win and ensuring City overtook Juventus in the final group standings. On 20 March 2016, he suffered a groin injury in a 1–0 loss to rivals Manchester United, and was ruled out for eight weeks. Sterling eventually lost his place in the starting line-up.

Sterling appeared regularly for Manchester City under Pep Guardiola for the opening matches of the 2016–17 season. He was Premier League Player of the Month for August 2016 after he scored two goals and provided one assist in three games. On 21 February 2017, Sterling scored the opener before setting up a goal for Sergio Agüero in a 5–3 home win against Monaco in the Champions League.

On 26 August 2017, Sterling scored the winner in a 2–1 away win over AFC Bournemouth in stoppage time. He was sent off by Mike Dean with a second yellow after he celebrated among travelling supporters that had run onto the pitch. On 29 November 2017, Sterling scored a 96th-minute winner against Southampton in a 2–1 home win. He scored his eighteenth and final league goal of the season during a 5–0 victory at Swansea City on 22 April 2018, his most ever at this point in his career.

Following England's World Cup campaign, Sterling made an immediate return to the Manchester City starting line-up. On 12 August 2018, less than a month after starting in England's 2–0 loss against Belgium in the third place play-off, Sterling scored the opening goal in Manchester City's 2–0 away win against Arsenal. The strike was Sterling's 50th Premier League goal. On 4 November 2018, Sterling scored twice and made two assists in a 6–1 win against Southampton at home, scoring his 50th goal for Manchester City in all competitions in the process. In November 2018, he signed a three-year extension to keep him at City until 2023.

Chelsea

On 13 July 2022, Sterling signed for Chelsea on a five-year contract for a fee of £47.5 million. On 6 August, he made his club debut in a 1–0 away win against Everton. On 27 August, Sterling scored his first goals for the club, a brace, in a 2–1 win over Leicester City, and added another in the next match against Southampton, a 2–1 away loss.

He scored his first Champions League goal of the season under newly-appointed Graham Potter on 14 September, in a 1–1 home draw against RB Salzburg.

On 7 March 2023, Sterling scored against Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of Chelsea's round of 16 tie, in which the Blues' would win 2–0 at home, helping them advance to the quarter finals. On 13 May he scored a brace against Nottingham Forest in a 2–2 home draw.

On 25 August 2023, Sterling scored his first goal in the 2023–24 season and later scored a brace in the second half against Luton Town which ended in 3–0 win for Chelsea.

In late August 2024, Sterling's future with the club was cast into doubt when new manager Enzo Maresca made clear he did not want the player. "I spoke with Raheem ... I said that he is going to struggle to get minutes with us".

On 30 August 2024, Sterling joined Arsenal on loan for the 2024–25 season. Sterling made his first start for the club on 25 September and scored the fourth goal of a 5–1 victory over Bolton Wanderers in the third round of the EFL Cup. On 4 June 2025, it was announced he would return to Chelsea, having failed to make a major impact under Mikel Arteta. Upon returning to Stamford Bridge, Sterling was completely exiled from the squad, being forced to train separately and barred from the main club facilities. On 28 January 2026, Sterling departed Chelsea by mutual agreement.

Feyenoord

On 12 February 2026, Sterling signed for Eredivisie club Feyenoord until the end of the 2025–26 season. He obtained his work and residence permit on 19 February 2026. Prior to that, Feyenoord moved their training sessions to Belgium for three days to allow Sterling to join the team. Sterling made his debut for the club on 22 February 2026, replacing Gijs Smal during a 2–1 league win against Telstar. He made his first start for the club during a 3–3 draw with NAC Breda on 8 March 2026.

International career

Youth teams

Sterling was born in Jamaica and moved to England at a young age, and holds dual nationality. His international career coincided with the introduction of the "home nations agreement." It was not until September 2009 that FIFA agreed to the proposals by the English, Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh Football Associations to update the agreement, allowing players who were educated in their nation for five years or more to become eligible for their national team. Sterling first represented England at under-16 level in November 2009 in a match against Northern Ireland. When speaking of the possibility of playing for Jamaica, Sterling said, "When it comes to that decision, that is when I will decide, but if Jamaica calls for me, why not?"

Sterling was selected to play for England for the 2011 U-17 World Cup. He scored a long-range goal in England's opening 2–0 win against Rwanda in Pachuca. He also scored against Argentina in the second round in a match where England won 4–2 on penalties. In early October 2012 he was called up for the first time to the England under-21 squad and made his debut as a substitute during a match against Serbia on 16 October. He scored his first goal for England U21 on 13 August 2013, in a 6–0 win against Scotland.

Senior team

On 10 September 2012, Sterling was called up to the senior England squad for the first time for a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Ukraine, where he was an unused substitute.

Sterling made his senior debut for England on 14 November 2012, starting in a friendly away to Sweden. On 5 March 2014, Sterling earned his second cap and was named man of the match as England beat Denmark 1–0 in a friendly match at Wembley Stadium.

On 12 May 2014, Sterling was named in England's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In a pre-tournament friendly on 4 June, against Ecuador in Miami on his fourth cap, Sterling slid into Antonio Valencia, who reacted by grabbing Sterling's neck; both received red cards for their actions. Valencia later apologised for his reaction. On 14 June, Sterling started in England's opening group match, a 2–1 loss to Italy in Manaus, and was rated as the team's best performing player by the BBC.

On 27 March 2015, Sterling scored his first senior goal for England in a 4–0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania at Wembley Stadium. On 9 October 2015, Sterling scored his second goal of the qualifying campaign in a 2–0 victory against Estonia, by which point the team were already qualified. He was one of 23 players chosen for the final tournament.

He was named in the 23-man England national team squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

After a run of 27 games without a goal for England, Sterling scored twice in a UEFA Nations League group game against Spain on 15 October 2018. England went on to win the match 3–2.

Sterling scored his first hat-trick for England on 22 March 2019 in a 5–0 win over the Czech Republic at Wembley Stadium in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier.

In October 2019, Sterling scored a brace in a 6–0 defeat of Bulgaria. Sterling's first goal in the game meant that he equalled a record held jointly by Eric Brook and Francis Lee of the most England goals scored by a Manchester City player (10). Sterling's second goal in the game meant that he became the sole record holder in this respect (although his second goal in the game was his twelfth England goal overall, it was his eleventh as a Manchester City player).

Style of play

Sterling plays as a winger, attacking midfielder or striker. He has been praised for his adaptability and ability to play wide, at the tip of a midfield diamond and centrally, offering flexibility. Known at his peak for his pace, low centre of gravity, and dribbling skills, Sterling was compared to Alexis Sánchez by his former manager Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers also praised him for offering a "real threat," his use of pace with composure and his maturity. Despite his small stature, he also possesses considerable upper-body strength, which aids him in withstanding challenges, and retaining possession.

Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi said in November 2014 that Sterling was at the time good enough to play for the La Liga club, praising his physical and technical qualities. In April 2015, BBC Sport columnist Phil McNulty wrote that Sterling was "very good with the potential to be outstanding" but remained a "work in progress" due to inconsistent performances. He also wrote, "He is blessed with natural pace that makes even the best defences and defenders take a step back."

Personal life

In 2013, citing the influence of his mother, Sterling was quoted as saying he was "not 100 per cent religious but my belief is strong. When the time is right, I will fully be Christian." He added that he put his faith in God and that he prays regularly. He has one daughter, Melody Rose, born in 2012 after a brief relationship. His middle-name Shaquille comes from his grandmother, who was living in America at the time and wanted to name him after Shaquille O'Neal.

On 8 August 2013, Sterling was arrested for an alleged common assault on his former girlfriend, a model. He was found not guilty at Liverpool Magistrates Court on 20 September, when the complainant was unable to offer consistent evidence. A few months earlier, on 20 May 2013, a charge of common assault on a different woman was dropped after a witness failed to attend court.

In April 2015, Sterling was photographed by the Sunday Mirror allegedly smoking a shisha pipe, and by The Sun allegedly inhaling nitrous oxide for recreational purposes. Manager Brendan Rodgers said, "I don't think it is something you should be doing, it's as simple as that... Young players make mistakes. As long as they learn from them, that is what is important."

In June 2017, following the Grenfell Tower fire in which 72 people died, Sterling made a substantial donation to those affected by the fire.

On 16 December 2017, Sterling was attacked outside Manchester City's training ground by a man who used racist language towards him. Four days later, 29-year-old Karl Anderson, a convicted football hooligan, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated common assault and was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison and a £100 fine. The Guardian praised Sterling's resilience and courage in deciding to play only four hours afterwards.

Sterling has an M16 rifle tattooed on his leg for which he received criticism from anti-violence groups; in response Sterling said that the tattoo had deeper meaning and referred to his father who was killed when Sterling was two years old. There has been criticism of how the British tabloid media, such as The Sun, cover and treat Sterling with articles being deemed unfair and racist by pundits including Ian Wright.

Sponsorship

In 2012, Sterling signed a sponsorship deal with American sportswear and equipment supplier Nike. He appeared in an advertisement for the new Nike Green Speed II alongside Mario Götze, Theo Walcott, Eden Hazard, Christian Eriksen and Stephan El Shaarawy in November 2012. In January 2013, he modelled the new Nike Mercurial Vapor IX. Starting in 2020, Sterling became an ambassador for Gillette, appearing in UK adverts for the brand. In May 2021 he announced that he signed multi-year deal with New Balance; he will be wearing the Furon v6+ boots.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 17 May 2026

International

England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Sterling goal

Honours

Manchester City

Premier League: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22

FA Cup: 2018–19

Football League/EFL Cup: 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21

FA Community Shield: 2019

UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2020–21

Chelsea

EFL Cup runner-up: 2023–24

England

UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2020

UEFA Nations League third place: 2018–19

Individual

Liverpool Young Player of the Season: 2013–14, 2014–15

Golden Boy: 2014

UEFA Champions League Team of the Group Stage: 2015–16

UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2018–19, 2019–20

Premier League Player of the Month: August 2016, November 2018, December 2021

PFA Team of the Year: 2018–19 Premier League

PFA Young Player of the Year: 2018–19

FWA Footballer of the Year: 2018–19

Sports Illustrated Premier League Team of the Decade: 2010–2019