Raheem Sterling the ‘lost soul’ or ‘hopelessly misguided’? A career gone off the rails

In another world, where careers broke in different directions, Raheem Sterling would be in this England squad now, playing for manager Thomas Tuchel, who made him the number one target of the new Chelsea era after the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital takeover.

He is 16 months younger than Harry Kane, who continues to break records as England’s captain and scored 73 goals last season. Sterling, meanwhile, is without a club and awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty at Basingstoke magistrates’ court to dangerous driving and possession of nitrous oxide after an incident that witnesses feared might kill someone.