The British-Jamaican football star forward Raheem Sterling has signed a major three-year contract extension with Manchester City. The contract commits Stirling to the football club until 2023. The deal is worth as much as £300,000 weekly for the player. Stirling, 23, previously had a deal at Etihad Stadium that was set to expire at the end of the season in 2019. His new contract means that Stirling is one of the highest-paid England players in the Premier League. Commenting on the new deal, Sterling said he was “delighted” to sign on, calling his development during his time with Manchester City “incredible.” He added that he had always felt that the club was the right fit for him right from the start.
Sterling scored seven goals for the club during the current season. He joined Manchester City in 2015, coming from Liverpool. Last season, Sterling scored 23 goals as the club won the Premier League and Carabao Cup. In October 2018, he scored twice against Spain, making his first international goals since 2014.
According to Trike Begiristain, City director of football, the contract extension with Sterling represents a “significant moment” for the club as the player has made dramatic improvements in the past two seasons. He is now one of the best attacking players in the Premier League, Begiristain said. He went on to describe Sterling as “quick, strong, and excellent in front of goal,” which is everything a forward should be in the modern day.
Raheem Sterling was born in Maverley, Kingston, on December 8, 1994, and spent his early childhood there. At age five, he moved with his mother to London, his father having been a victim of murder when Sterling was two years old. Sterling grew up near Wembley Stadium and is still close to his roots in London. He attended Copland School in Wembley in the northwest part of the city. He was signed by the Liverpool club from the Academy at Queens Park Rangers in 2010 by Rafael Benitez. The initial fee was £600,000, which came with the potential for a raise to £5 million, depending on how many times Sterling appeared for the first team.
Sterling made his senior debut for England in November of 2012, after being capped by England youth teams at the Under-16, Under-17, Under-19, and Under-21 levels. He was selected to play in England’s squads in the 2011 and 2018 FIFA World Cups and the UEFA Euro in 2016.
In the future, he plans to invest in an academy to the north of the city, which may to be called “Believe in a Dream.” Sterling said he was waiting for Brent Council to make its potential premises available.
Photo Source: Raheem Sterling Instagram