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Jonathan White

“Me personally? I’d say, it’d be score more goals,” Raheem Sterling said of his targets for the upcoming season.
“I think it’s something I’m always looking to do, score more goals and better my season before. You know, from a personal perspective, something I’d look into do is score more goals, not just say to score goals but to score goals that can help my team to win football matches.
“Yeah, I’ve got a number in mind,” he said, laughing. “You know it’s not something I say out loud. I just try to move on from last season.”
That would mean more than the 25 goals he scored last season as Manchester City won the English Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup, which was more than the 23 he scored as they won the league title the year before.




This is strong evidence that Sterling has improved year on year since moving to City for US$61m in 2015, in what was a record for an English player. What does he put it down to?
“I’ve grown up,” the 24-year-old said, something that has coincided with working under Pep Guardiola.
Manchester City unaffected by Hong Kong protests but Pep Guardiola feels it on human level
“It’s really good to have a manager that always wants the best for me. He’s someone that gives his 100 per cent and he expects nothing less from his players. To work with someone like that, is truly remarkable.
“Every day you come in, you’ve got to be prepared, you’ve got to be ready to be at your best, otherwise you won’t be in the team. I think that’s something that really rubbed off on me. To be able to compete against such good players and fight for your position is something that makes you raise your game.”
Sterling knows that his manager wants the only thing missing from the Etihad trophy case: the Uefa Champions League.




“There’s always room for improvement. Obviously, we got knocked out of the Champions League and that’s something I think this club has been hungry to win,” he said.
Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final in 2018 started with a preseason in Hong Kong. The former Liverpool forward will be hoping that history repeats itself with City, who play Hong Kong Premier League side Kitchee in a friendly on Wednesday.
He thinks there is more to come from the team. “Everyone in the squad, everyone at the club, you know, you can only look at yourself, to try and improve yourself and see what you can do better from last season. I think that will take us a long way if everyone looks at themselves and tries to do one better than last season. I think we could have another top season.”

Sterling had a top season last campaign, which culminated in captaining England against the Netherlands, which he described as “a lovely experience” and a “massive honour”. He would leap at the chance if asked again, just as he would love to pull on the armband for his club.
“For sure, it’s about being a person on the field to stand up and be counted. It’s not something that I’d say is my first priority to be captain, but if the time does come and the manager does say he wants me to be captain for a game and lead the team out, it’s something I’d do happily, stand up and wear the captain’s armband and be proud.”
He might be 24 but having made his Premier League debut at 17 and full England debut a year later, Sterling has been on the scene for a while. So much so that the next generation already cite him as a role model.

“It’s a lovely feeling. There are a lot of young players in London that have taken the same journey as me,” he said.
“To be able to see someone, especially from where you’re from, make it in this professional world, is something that’s really good, and a lot of these young players, I think, do look up to that, as someone who’s been there and done it.
“I’m lucky enough to say I’ve been there and played a couple of seasons in the Premier League and been able to win trophies. Like I said before, winning trophies like this and playing in a fantastic team like Manchester City, you do have people that all look up to you, so it’s something I’m definitely proud of.”

A lot of these players are like Sterling in that they are the type of footballers to go past people and get the fans off their seats, something that came from playing on the street.
“I love watching players who dribble past players and excite the crowd, so I think a lot of players from London have that same mentality, as to try and show what they can do.”
Another similarity is that they are young black men. Sterling has notably taken a stand against racism in English football. “I wasn’t trying to be a leader to speak about it. It was just something I thought was really important at the time to get off my chest.” he said.

He said that the issue is “more visible with social media and there’s a lot more people hiding behind computer screens” but “at the end of the day we’re footballers and our job at first is to play football. We’ve got to let the authorities take charge and make a stand on it”.
Sterling said that any change in the media perception of him has come because of his exploits on the pitch.
“First and foremost, just trying to win as many trophies as I can with the club. It would be really special to win something, with England,” he said. “A World Cup, European Championship, but it’s going to take hard work, I know this and the rest of the players for the national team know this.
“I just want to be continually winning trophies year in year out, score as many goals as I can to be in contention for lovely awards, something like the Ballon d’Or.”


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Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling has eye on Champions League, Ballon d’Or and winning with England

Raheem Sterling is in Hong Kong with Manchester City for their friendly against Kitchee. Photo: Dayu Zhang

Raheem Sterling speaks to the Post at the Rosewood Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui

(190717) -- NANJING, July 17, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Raheem Sterling (L) of Manchester City competes during a Premier League Asia Trophy match between Manchester City and West Ham United in Nanjing of east China's Jiangsu Province on July 17, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

(190717) -- NANJING, July 17, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Raheem Sterling of Manchester City celebrates his goal during a Premier League Asia Trophy match between Manchester City and West Ham United in Nanjing of east China's Jiangsu Province, on July 17, 2019. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)

Raheem Sterling with the Premier League trophy in Hong Kong.

Manchester City unaffected by Hong Kong protests but Pep Guardiola feels it on human level

Pep Guardiola (centre) and Raheem Sterling (right) with Kitchee president Ken Ng at Tuesday’s press conference. Photo: Nicolas Atkin

Pep Guardiola (centre) speaks at Tuesday's press conference at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Wan Chai.

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A fan poses for a photo with Manchester City players Angelino, David Silva and Oleksandr Zinchenko (L-R) during a promotional event in Hong Kong. Photo: Reuters

(190720) -- SHANGHAI, July 20, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Manager Pep Guardiola (L) of Manchester City reacts during an Asia Trophy match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in east China's Shanghai on July 20, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

(190717) -- NANJING, July 17, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Raheem Sterling (3rd L) of Manchester City competes during a Premier League Asia Trophy match between Manchester City and West Ham United in Nanjing of east China's Jiangsu Province on July 17, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

Soccer Football - FA Cup Final - Manchester City v Watford - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 18, 2019 Manchester City's Vincent Kompany lifts the trophy as they celebrate after winning the FA Cup Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

FILE - In this Sunday, May 12, 2019 file photo, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola lifts the English Premier League trophy after the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Manchester City at the AMEX Stadium in Brighton, England, Manchester City defeated Brighton 4-1 to win the championship. Manchester City will begin its Premier League title defense away to West Ham and only plays one of the so-called "Big 6" teams in its first 11 games of the season. The Premier League fixtures for the 2019-20 campaign were announced Thursday June 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

Soccer Football - Premier League Asia Trophy - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City - Hongkou Football Stadium, Shanghai, China - July 20, 2019 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reacts REUTERS/Thomas Peter

epa07565353 Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany lifts the trophy among teammates after the English Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester City, Brighton, Britain, 12 May 2019. Manchester City won 4-1 and won the Premier League title. EPA-EFE/JAMES BOARDMAN EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.

Soccer Football - Premier League Asia Trophy - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City - Hongkou Football Stadium, Shanghai, China - July 20, 2019 Wolverhampton Wanderers' Conor Coady and Ruben Neves lift the trophy as they celebrate winning the Premier League Asia Trophy REUTERS/Thomas Peter

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Fans watch Manchester City training in Shenzhen in 2016. Photo: Reuters

(FILES) This file picture taken on July 19, 2017 shows Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil vying for the ball during the International Champions Cup football match between Bayern Munich and Arsenal in Shanghai. - Mesut Ozil is "Little Wife", Paul Pogba is "Busty" and Jose Mourinho is called "Magic Bird" -- Chinese fans and media have conjured up creative and bizarre nicknames for many of the world's best-known football figures. (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE / AFP) / - China OUT

File - In this Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015 file photo, New York City FC midfielder Andrea Pirlo, of Italy, claps for fans as he is taken out of the game during the second half of an MLS soccer match against the Los Angeles Galaxy, in Carson, Calif. Tributes poured in for Andrea Pirlo after Italy's midfield maestro retired. The 38-year-old passing wizard played his final match on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017 when New York City FC was beaten 4-3 by the Columbus Crew in the MLS Eastern Conference finals. Pirlo came on in the 90th minute of the match and was greeted with a showering of affection from fans at Yankee Stadium. While Pirlo played his final seasons in the United States, he made his name by helping AC Milan and Juventus win a combined six Serie A titles, two Champions Leagues with Milan and the above all the 2006 World Cup with Italy. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

Football Soccer - Manchester United at their team hotel - Sheraton Hotel, Beijing, China - 25/7/16 Manchester United fans at the team hotel after the match was called off with Manchester City Action Images via Reuters / Thomas Peter

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Star of English Premier League champions captained Three Lions this summer and hopes to do the same for his club
Explains pride at being a role model for younger players despite being only 24


Star of English Premier League champions captained Three Lions this summer and hopes to do the same for his club


Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling has eye on Champions League, Ballon d’Or and winning with England

Star of English Premier League champions captained Three Lions this summer and hopes to do the same for his club Explains pride at being a role model for younger players despite being only 24

Star of English Premier League champions captained Three Lions this summer and hopes to do the same for his club

Explains pride at being a role model for younger players despite being only 24