Raheem Sterling’s new manager forced to defend England star after just one game following fan fury
Robin van Persie has condemned the wave of criticism directed at Raheem Sterling following the winger’s first outing for Feyenoord, describing the reaction as wholly unfair given the circumstances.
The 31-year-old came on as a substitute during his new club’s 2-1 victory over Telstar last Sunday, appearing visibly short of match sharpness after an extended period away from competitive football.
“I understand that there are expectations of an absolute top player, but to criticise him like that after half an hour – his first half hour after over six months – then you really don’t understand anything at all,” Van Persie stated on Friday.
The Feyenoord manager acknowledged that while much of the response was encouraging, certain elements were “inappropriate.”
Sterling arrived at the Rotterdam club earlier this month after reaching a mutual agreement with Chelsea to end his contract in January, walking away from wages of £325,000 per week.
The former England international had endured a difficult final chapter at Stamford Bridge, spending nine months frozen out of the first-team picture without making a single appearance during the current campaign.
This prolonged absence from competitive action meant Sterling had been deprived of regular team training sessions, leaving him understandably ring-rusty when he finally stepped onto the pitch in Dutch football.
Raheem Sterling made the shock move to Feyenoord earlier this month | GETTY
Van Persie urged observers to consider this context, noting that Sterling “hasn’t had any team training for months” before passing judgement on his performance.
The online backlash proved particularly vicious, with an Instagram account named FootballPark, which has nearly 100,000 followers, likening the winger to “Bambi on ice” and questioning whether he should retire altogether.
The post declared that Sterling’s debut “looked like a veritable disaster from the Dutch club’s point of view,” claiming the player had been “on a downward spiral since 2022” and appeared to lack motivation.
Robin van Persie was raging at the way Raheem Sterling was singled out
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GETTYThe account was far from alone in targeting the former Premier League star, with numerous social media users piling on following his brief cameo appearance.
Van Persie suggested such harsh assessments after merely 30 minutes of action demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of Sterling’s situation.
Jack Grealish, Sterling’s former teammate at Manchester City, responded furiously to the online attacks, posting a strongly-worded defence of the 31-year-old.
“What a f*****g stupid Instagram post man what’s wrong with you guys,” he told one account.
Raheem Sterling was once one of the best wingers in England
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PA“Guy hasn’t played or trained for so long. Ppl like u guys is what wrong with the world. Have some respect.”
Feyenoord face FC Twente on Sunday, where Sterling may have another opportunity to build his match fitness under Van Persie’s guidance.
He’ll be hoping to rediscover the form that once made him one of the best wingers in the Premier League at Liverpool and Manchester City.
Sterling is, however, extremely unlikely to play for England at this summer’s World Cup regardless of how he fares due to the quality Thomas Tuchel possesses.
