Raheem Sterling has proved he is Man City's master hex-breaker and can end Manchester derby woe

Exasperation isn’t normally an emotion indulged by Raheem Sterling, the relentless and resilient Manchester City and England forward.

Yet there it was, just after a long-held career dream had been realised.

“I’ve always said, if I played at Wembley in a major tournament I’m scoring. At Wembley, my back garden, I had to score,” the north Londoner told BBC Sport after netting the only goal in England’s Euro 2020 opener against Croatia last summer.

Sterling’s form for City at the end of the 2020/21 campaign had led to his place in Gareth Southgate’s first XI coming under scrutiny. When this was put to him, his forehead still slick with sweat after a moment of immense personal triumph, raised eyebrows and an eventual grin didn’t quite hide his frustration.

“Have I justified my selection?” he said, repeating the question before a long pause. “I’m trying, trying…”

The Croatia goal was a launchpad for a superb individual tournament for Sterling, who also broke the deadlock in wins over the Czech Republic and Germany as England plotted a path to the final.

In the semi-final against Denmark, he was utterly magnificent. But the Croatia interview was a reminder that there is probably no footballer who has achieved as much as Sterling has, yet still faces calls to prove his worth.

This is a man who became the eighth youngest player to reach 100 Premier League goals this season at the age of 27. He has also broken into City’s top 10 all-time leading scorers, while Wayne Rooney is the only Englishman with more Champions League strikes to his name.

He left Liverpool in 2015 in order to win major honours and has lifted nine of them. And yet…

One reason why some members of the football-supporting jury remain out on Sterling