Rio Ferdinand: Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling should start for England in the World Cup
Speaking on BT Sport (h/t Mirror), Rio Ferdinand believes Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling starting for England in the World Cup is a no-brainer.
The 27-year-old ended his barren run of form in front of the goal by scoring against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday. After a promising start to life at Stamford Bridge, he has had a stutter off late.
The team’s form in terms of scoring goals is a factor in that as well. Sterling was under fire after Chelsea’s defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, so much so that former Blues star Pat Nevin claimed that the player’s place in the World cup is a major doubt.
Talking about the former Manchester City forward and why he is a no-brainer to start in Qatar, here’s Ferdinand (h/t Mirror):
“Sterling starts at the World Cup. Forget going, he starts. Simple as that for me. I was delighted for him because I’ve been hearing some outlandish comments about should he even go to the World Cup for England.
“But this guy whatever happens he gets into good areas, he doesn’t shy away when things aren’t going his way, he still always gets himself into positions where he can affect the game and his endeavour is always there, his determination, desire, I mean this is what I love about him.”
Even though Sterling’s form has not been great in front of goal, he is still an important player for both club and country. He has been one of the key reasons why the Three Lions made it to the semi-final and final of the last World Cup and Euros 2021 respectively.
In the Euros, he scored three goals and provided one assist in seven appearances. Moreover, he has a good relationship with Harry Kane up front. His pace and directness on the ball are always handy in international football where games tend to get cagey.
So, if England are to go far in the tournament, starting Sterling would be an obvious choice. Seeing that Gareth Southgate starts him in every game irrespective of current form, we would see the 27-year-old leading his nation’s charge in search of an elusive World cup trophy.
For now, though, Chelsea have two big games coming up in the league, with Arsenal visiting Stamford Bridge on Sunday and a trip to Newcastle United awaits next weekend. Both the opponents are in the top four, while the blues are not.
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So, they would want to win both games before the World Cup break starts. Sterling would hope to contribute well to take that form into the plane to Qatar.