WHEN Raheem Sterling was booed by Chelsea fans during a game in March, you could have forgiven him for trying to find a way out.
But Sterling will stay and the early signs from new manager Enzo Maresca are encouraging.
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There may still be work to do to win over the fans, given they turned on him so dramatically during last season’s FA Cup victory.
It was not just his form that was noticed at times, but also an air of negativity perceived on the pitch.
Those who worked with him insist this is simply down to his desire to win, something that has not disappeared despite winning four Premier League titles.
The truth is we are yet to see the best of him in a Chelsea shirt – two years on from his £47.5m move from Manchester – although there is hope that could change now.
Sterling feels comfortable and confident under Maresca and hopes this translates into a significant step up in performance as he looks to return to his best and break into the England squad.
The former Manchester City winger enjoyed working under Mauricio Pochettino, but appears much more comfortable in a similar system to the one he thrived in at the Etihad.
His pre-season cannot be described as stellar, with just two starts and one goal, but he improved the team by coming off the bench in a further three matches and at times looked a real threat.
Maresca is pleased with his work in training, both at Cobham and on tour, and the winger feels the Italian’s approach suits him.
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He said: “It gets the best out of me, the best out of the team.
“He [Maresca] came in and stamped his authority, the way he wants to play.
Sterling’s English goals
RAHEEM STERLING says he is looking forward to returning to the England squad under a new manager.
The 29-year-old Chelsea winger has not played for the Three Lions since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – when he left camp to attend to a family emergency before returning.
Injuries and form have limited his chances since then, with both sides insisting there were never any problems between Sterling and former England manager Gareth Southgate.
Sterling said: “If the opportunity arises, it is something I always dreamed of as a child and I have managed to achieve, I have had great memories with the national team.
“You say that like I’m 38 or something!
“Football has different times, there was a period with many injuries and upheavals.
“It was a different part of my life. I’m looking forward to getting back into the England squad, for sure.”
The former Manchester City winger, who has 82 caps and 20 goals for his country, only watched England’s games during Euro 2024, when the Three Lions reached the final.
It was the first tournament Sterling had not participated in since Euro 2012.
Asked if he missed being part of it, the winger added: “Of course, I love playing for England. It’s one of the best feelings you can have.”
“Seeing the lads out there made me happy, to be honest, they were the only games I watched – the England ones. I love playing for England.”
The FA is yet to name a successor to Southgate, although Under-21s manager Lee Carsley is in line to take on the interim role at the next camp in September.
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“Yes, some of the results were not pleasing to the eye, but with the ball the correct information is being conveyed, you can see the patterns that are emerging.
“It’s still early, so you can see where we intend to go.”
Having remained out of England’s books, Sterling has had an entire summer and pre-season to prepare.
He spent a lot of time with his family, who also joined him on parts of Chelsea’s American tour, before starting his first day under Maresca.
The two have never crossed paths at City, but the winger is said to be enthusiastic about the new coach’s first training sessions, especially with the amount of work the players do with the ball at their feet.
And he added: “Despite the results you can see the way we are trying to play and in this way, in the initial phase, mistakes are made and in some games it costs us.
“But the coach is highlighting what we can do better.
“It’s a learning process for the whole group and one that we are understanding very quickly. The Premier League is coming up very soon, so I think we have good times ahead.”
The Chelsea squad were impressed with Sterling’s focus during pre-season and the efforts he made to help younger players learn quickly.
Several younger players considered Sterling a great influence and support.
He was not a key figure in the team’s reconciliation following the Enzo Fernandez racism scandal and his return in Atlanta, but he still wanted to ensure Chelsea were not thrown off course.
While others met with Fernandez and decided the best path forward, Sterling ensured there was still a focus on performance and training within the group.
He said: “I’m focused on trying to help the team in any way I can, on and off the ball, which is important as a collective.
“In attack, we have great players and we need to combine that.
“I see great potential within the team. The group is young, but with the players we have we have to mature very quickly, which we do.
“Sometimes you can see the good football we play and we need to simplify some things and the results will come our way to compete.”
Meet Pep Guardiola’s disciple, Enzo Maresca
ENZO MARESCA is considered one of the most exciting young coaches on the planet.
Born in Italy in 1980, he managed to guide Leicester to the Championship title in his first season as Foxes manager.
His management career began at Italian minnows Ascoli, before being signed by Man City in 2020 to manage their Elite Development Squad.
He guided the youth team to the Premier League 2 title in his only season working for the Citizens – with Cole Palmer in the team.
His first senior job was at Parma, but he was sacked just months later after failing to impress.
Despite the team playing in Serie B and Maresca having an impressive squad, he was unable to take them on the path to promotion.
He returned to Man City and worked as one of Pep Guardiola’s assistants in the 2022/23 season in the Treble victory.
He took over at relegated Leicester last summer and made an immediate impact as the Foxes won the Championship title.
Maresca showed his dedication to his job by living at the training camp for the first two months after his appointment.
He is considered something of a disciple of Pep and said: “For a coach, it is important to have the mentality of a chess player.”
During his playing career he played with Carlo Ancelotti and Marcello Lippi – and alongside former Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi.
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