Revealed! 'Tired' Liverpool ace Raheem Sterling has sprinted further and faster than Prem rivalsThe 19-year-old didn't start for England at the weekend after controversially complaining of fatigue - and these stats show how hard he's been working
Stats amazing! Figures show Raheem Sterling has performed more sprints, over a greater distance and reached a higher top speed than David Silva or Eden Hazard so far this league season
His critics have accused him of being pampered and out of touch.Yet those are the last descriptions you could level at Raheem Sterling – the boy who arrived, aged five, in this country with his family and settled on one of London’s toughest estates.
The youngster who emerged from a class of troubled teenagers to make something of himself. The talent whose discipline and determination saw him shun the local gangs to work on fulfilling his towering potential.
Last weekend, the Liverpool attacker admitted to being a bit “heavy-legged” ahead of England’s Euro 2016 qualifier in Estonia. He came on as a second-half substitute.
That sparked a furious debate, but Mirror Sport has gained access to EA Sports statistics that show Sterling has sprinted faster and further this season for the Reds than rivals David Silva and Eden Hazard have for their clubs, Manchester City and Chelsea.
In fact, when it comes to high-speed sprinting, Sterling has covered more than three times the ground of Silva and almost twice as much as Hazard.
Yet suddenly, he has been painted as a prima donna. Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers will have his own take today on the way that Sterling’s private concerns were made public by England coach Roy Hodgson.
But the player himself is far from shy about setting out his own position.
In an interview for Forever Sports, out now, the 19-year-old spoke about some of the sacrifices he has made.
He said: “Some people don’t realise the journey that some footballers have come on. Most players start aged seven, eight, nine, 10. Some make it to the last important step and some don’t. So it is really a make-or-break situation we are in.
"We work for it from a young age and people don’t see it until we are in the public eye. They are probably thinking we are born into playing football.
Estonia 0-1 England in pictures:
Wayne Rooney celebrates with Leighton Baines after scoring the first goal for England
“But it is a journey we have come on. We put hours in off the field as well
and try to give back as much as possible as we do on the field.”
As the debate over Sterling’s development continues it is probably fitting that his next Liverpool appearance is likely to be on Sunday at Queens Park Rangers - the club from which he was snapped up, aged 14, for £1million.
Far from losing touch with his roots, Sterling’s initial thought ahead of his first World Cup back five months ago, was for Steve Gallen – his Under-21 coach at QPR.
“I had a text off him just before the World Cup,” said Gallen. “He invited me to an England game as his guest to say, ‘Thank you’.
“He’ll get a good reception from all the young players and me. He’s a lovely little lad and he loves playing football. We are all proud of him and how well he has done for Liverpool and England.
“As long as he doesn’t do too well this weekend – after that he can go on to be the best player in the Premier League.”
