Raheem Sterling should renew his Manchester City contract and NOT look to leave, says Shaun Wright-Phillips, who says the England star ‘has got a huge part to play’ with the current Premier League champions
- Raheem Sterling could end up leaving Manchester City in the near future
- The England winger is out of form at City and he hinted at a potential exit soon
- Shaun Wright-Phillips thinks Sterling is better off staying at the Etihad Stadium
- The ex-City winger says Sterling still has a major role in Pep Guardiola’s team
Raheem Sterling should commit to Manchester City by signing a new contract, says club legend Shaun Wright-Phillips, as the England winger has a ‘huge part to play’ for Pep Guardiola’s team.
Despite a promising summer with the Three Lions at Euro 2020, Sterling has returned to a back-up role at City and has started just three of the club’s eight Premier League matches this season.
The 26-year-old revealed his desire to leave the Etihad Stadium last month should his game time not improve, but fellow City icon Wright-Phillips believes he is just one goal away from reigniting his club career.
Shaun Wright-Phillips believes Raheem Sterling (above) should commit to Manchester City
Wright-Phillips (above) wants Sterling to pen a new contract at the Etihad Stadium
‘This season he has not played anywhere near as much as previous years,’ Wright-Phillips told The Sun. ‘I am sure his time will come again.
‘He just needs a goal to go in – however it comes – to get him firing again. You just need to look at what he’s done in six years and more for the club to see what he’s capable of.
‘He’s made a massive contribution and I still feel like he’s got a huge part to play for City in the future.’
Sterling never managed to nail down a regular spot in City’s squad towards the back end of last season, with the winger failing to start a single Champions League quarter-final or semi-final leg and was uninspiring in his start in the final defeat to Chelsea.
Sterling (left) has been out of favour at City and could quit if he remains a back-up option
With the current season now nine games in, Sterling has started most matches on the substitutes’ bench, with his only goal of the season coming in a 5-0 drubbing of bottom side Norwich.
Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus has a new role in Pep Guardiola’s City set-up on the right wing, while £100million signing Jack Grealish is currently occupying the left-hand side.
Riyad Mahrez, Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden are also preferred to Sterling in Guardiola’s front three so far this season.
Sterling admitted earlier this month that he could quit City, who could also lose Guardiola in 2023 – the same year the winger’s deal expires, with the England international revealing a desire to play abroad at some point in his career.
Pep Guardiola (left) has preferred several other attacking options to City star Sterling (right)
‘I’m not a person that’s going to complain, I’ve not tried to make it a bigger deal than it actually is,’ Sterling admitted on October 14.
‘I get on with my work, do what I need to do. And I’m just raring to go: playing football matches regularly, scoring goals regularly.
‘At the end of the day, if football for me is not at a certain standard I’m not really at my happiest. If I want my happiness at a certain level I need to be playing football. I need to be scoring goals and enjoying myself.’
But Wright-Phillips wants Sterling to pen new terms at the Etihad Stadium as he feels that City is the best place for the winger at the moment.
The retired winger added: ‘Maybe the contract thing is hanging over him. I would like to see him extend his contract and end the questions over his future.
‘I know he’s said he’d like to play abroad at some point but I don’t think there’s anywhere better to play football than the Premier League.
‘And City are a club which is going to be looking to win silverware for many years to come.’
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