Raheem Sterling has stated that before the season started he promised to work harder than ever at Manchester City.
The forward has begun impressively under the current manager Pep Guardiola and scored twice in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over West Ham. Sterling pointed to the promise he made as a factor in his form and said that last term’s uneven campaign helped the improvement.
“Every day I’m learning,” he said. “It’s something that I will definitely take into every season with me, to remember that sort of stuff and just to move forward from it. I just made a promise, something that I said to myself, that when I come back at the start of this season I am going to work hard and try to be as consistent as I can.”
Sterling has started four of City’s five wins, being stood down only for the Champions League knockout round second leg against Steaua Bucharest, which was effectively a dead-rubber.
“I’m enjoying my football and I am enjoying winning games and I am working hard to continue doing that,” he added. “This is the season you will see me working my hardest, that’s for sure. I didn’t come into the season thinking: ‘I want to show everyone.’ But just to concentrate on my football, that’s the most important thing. People will talk, but the most important thing for me was to come in and do well under the new manager and impress here. I knew if I kept working hard I would get my chances.”
Guardiola called Sterling to offer support when the forward was struggling with England at the Euro 2016. “It was a big lift,” Sterling said. “The manager’s been in the game a long time, won stuff, worked with young players, worked with great players and he knows how to get the best out of his players. He’s been a massive help. Not just for me, but the other players as well – the whole team.
“It’s good to have a manager that not just talks to me but makes the whole team feel really welcome, makes everyone feel they are all one, whether you are starting or not. Everyone’s hungry, everyone’s ready to run for him and play for him.”
Of Guardiola’s drive for perfection, he said: “It’s a challenge. He puts his system into play, likes a certain way to play and when everyone is working hard together it’s a plus and you get the rewards for it. The manager’s got his style and obviously coached Barcelona and at times you can see that. It’s exciting – some things we need to work on, but as the season goes on we will just get better and better.
“He will bring the best out of the whole team, not just me. He will definitely push everyone to do better. We are hungry, ready and pushing to win the games.”
