It is a little under two years since Raheem Sterling made the move which, perhaps more than any other, has come to define him. It wasn’t a drop of the shoulder or a sprint past a full-back or a shot at goal, but instead an interview. That interview is the reason why the winger will once again be the subject of abuse from the away end when Manchester City host Liverpool on Sunday.
“I don’t want to be perceived as a money-grabbing 20-year-old” was the standout line of Sterling’s chat with the BBC on 1 April 2015 as he sought to address criticism regarding his decision to turn down Liverpool’s offer of a £100,000-a-week contract. It was April Fools’ Day but Sterling was fooling no one, certainly not as far as those on the red half of Merseyside were concerned. Instead they saw the interview – one that was said to have left the Liverpool hierarchy aghast – as a blatant attempt by Sterling and his agent, Aidy Ward, to engineer a move from the club where he had been since the age of 14 and developed into one of the most exciting talents in English football.
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