Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling aims to be leader on return to London as ‘grown adult’

Raheem Sterling has pledged to be an outspoken leader at Chelsea, after returning to home city London as a “grown adult”.

The 27-year-old is back living in London for the first time in more than 10 years, after majorly successful stints with Liverpool and Manchester City.

Sterling revealed his £47.5million Chelsea switch revolved around his refusal to accept limited playing time at Manchester City approaching the peak of his career.

The 77-cap England forward also revealed Thomas Tuchel’s praise for his direct attacking threat, with the Chelsea boss excited to see Sterling drive forward for the Blues with the ball at his feet.

“I’m excited, I’ve grown up a bit off the field,” said Sterling.

“I feel like my whole journey, going up to Liverpool, Manchester, playing at City, and living the dream – now I’m coming back to London as a grown adult.

“I’ve been in the football game a while now, I’ve got my head on my shoulders and I know exactly what I want from my life and football.

“So it’s the perfect time to come back.

“Inside the changing room and at the football club, there’s a developing side of me which I’d like to see a lot more, and that’s to be more involved in decisions in the dressing room, to be more vocal, and try to drive the team on.

“I think he (Tuchel) said to me it’s my directness, always threatening in behind, not always wanting it in to feet and going in behind.

“But most importantly it’s how I attack the box, and with the full-backs that we have here he said that’s the one thing he wants to see a lot more, so that was the conversation there.”

Sterling was born in Jamaica but raised in London, before making his name and carving a top-level career at first Liverpool then City.

The pacy forward returns to