Currently 30 years old, Sterling is on loan at Arsenal from Chelsea but has found it challenging to make a significant impact under Mikel Arteta, having made 12 appearances for the north London club.
Despite his recent struggles, Sterling’s career is enviable, with stints at Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal, along with earning 82 caps for England. ..Continue Reading
His peak arguably came at Manchester City, where he scored 131 goals and provided 73 assists in 339 appearances. During his seven-year stay, he helped the club secure four Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and five League Cups.
Beyond his achievements, Sterling has played alongside and against many world-class players.
At Liverpool, he shared the dressing room with stars like Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez.
During his time at City, he collaborated with Sergio Aguero, David Silva, and Yaya Toure, and more recently, has played with talents such as Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka.
Interestingly, none of these players made it into his top five players of all-time list.
In an interview with GOAL’s FanZone in November 2024, Sterling shared his thoughts.
“Cristiano Ronaldo at fifth, which is mad,” he said. “For me then, R9 [Ronaldo Nazario] [at] four. [Lionel] Messi three, Neymar [at two].”
However, his top choice might catch you off guard. Sterling ranked Ronaldinho, another Brazilian, as the number one player on his remarkable list.
Sterling has previously mentioned that the 2002 World Cup champion was his childhood hero.
“Ronaldinho [was my idol],” he told BBC Radio 5 Live in 2020 [quotes via MEN].
“That’s who I… if you saw my history on YouTube, I think I’ve watched every single clip of his playing career.
“That was the player I used to go in the garden and try to recreate, which I could have never done. I tried it to the best of my ability but he was so special.”
And the England international clearly admires Brazilian stars, admitting that he “likes” a certain thing that Neymar does.
“What I really like about Neymar is every time he loses the ball, or tries something, he goes again,” he told The Times in 2018.
“He doesn’t get disheartened. He has that winner’s mentality. “Watching Neymar…you’ve got the ball at the edge of his box, and he’s straight at you, trying to win the ball. He does do a lot of tricks but he does his tricks at the right time.”
