Gareth Southgate adamant Raheem Sterling has the mental toughness to bounce back
Gareth Southgate backed Raheem Sterling to recover from his nightmare season – after leaving him out of his latest England squad.
The Chelsea forward will miss the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia next month.
Southgate spoke with Sterling last week with the 28-year-old battling a hamstring problem and admitting he had not hit top form.
But, despite his omission, Southgate expects one of his star players to rediscover his spark.
“I will always back him to respond strongly and have the resilience and tenacity to prove himself,” he said.
“He said himself he’s not been happy with how it’s been but that will be a temporary thing.
“He really wasn’t in consideration. We didn’t get to the point of whether he should be in or out. He doesn’t think he’s operating on the level he needs.
“He’s an important part of our group and that remains the same. But he is in an area of the pitch where players are playing well for their clubs and playing well when they are playing for us.
Expertly taken!