Ashley Williams has slated Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling and his inability to kick a football properly.
The former Premier League centre-back says Raheem Sterling, who has repped Liverpool and Manchester City, has had a ‘great career’.
But he thinks, the 29-year-old still can’t strike a ball in a clean fashion and he questions ‘why does he hook it’, as he told Vibe with Five.
After a trophy-winning spell in Manchester City colours, Raheem Sterling secured a £48 million transfer to then-Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea in 2022.
During the England star’s time at the Etihad, he scored 131 Premier League goals from 339 matches, including winning four Premier League titles, one League Cup and one FA Cup.
What didn’t help the forward’s cause is that 12 months after leaving Pep Guardiola’s side, they would go on to win a historic Treble and Chelsea would produce their worst season in decades.
Despite that, it has been a fantastic career for the versatile forward, but Ashley Williams isn’t convinced by how he strikes a ball.
Raheem Sterling’s finishing
“Would you agree that Raheem Sterling has had a great career,” said Williams.
“We were saying. What is a bigger mystery? The pyramids in Egypt or the fact that Raheem Sterling is genuinely good and has had a good career. But he can’t strike a football still!
“What a weird thing. I am not taking anything away from him because I think he is very good. Why can’t he still can’t kick a football? Like everyone else does. Why does he hook everything?
“I want to get it out there. I think he is a very good player. I am not dissing him. I am just saying. Why have you been in the game at the top level for so long, at three of the best clubs in the country, and if you want I am going to put a 10 by 10 square down 50 yards away and tell him to drop it in there. He wouldn’t do it. He would get 1/10. It’s bizarre.”
Raheem Sterling at Chelsea
At a stage of Sterling’s career when he is supposed to be playing his best football, he finds himself struggling for a team that has been pretty poor this season.
Under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino, the London club are sitting ninth in the table, three points off sixth-placed West Ham, who have played a game less.
But more worryingly, they are six points ahead of 12th-placed Bournemouth, who have two games in hand.
So, these next few weeks, which include that very important second leg against Boro and the Fourth Round FA Cup against Aston Villa, could now prove to be game-changing in their indifferent season.
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