Raheem Sterling has reflected on how one former Manchester City player helped him to settle in at the club.
Sterling had a difficult first season at City — with just six goals and two assists to his name in 23 Premier League starts.
Aside from his goal and assist numbers, the Englishman’s all-round displays were disappointing during his debut campaign at the Etihad Stadium.
Manuel Pellegrini seemingly struggled to get the best out of the former Liverpool winger, who signed for the club in a deal worth £49 million (BBC Sport); a fee that was considered a huge overpay at the time.
However, things took a turn for the better after Pep Guardiola joined the club in 2016 for the Kingston-born forward.
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Raheem Sterling makes intriguing Fabian Delph admission at Man City
In the summer of 2015, Manchester City made a couple of first-team signings who played a key role in their success in the future — which included Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, Nicolas Otamendi and Fabian Delph.
De Bruyne looked like the real deal from day one but injuries interrupted his progress during that campaign.
Otamendi failed to convince in a City shirt during his debut season, despite coming off the back of a brilliant season for Valencia.
While Delph’s signing from Aston Villa was questioned — considering he was not widely viewed as a player capable of elevating the team.
The Sky Blues did not have their best season — qualifying for the Champions League on goal difference.
In an interview with Kubo, Sterling was quizzed about which player took him under his wing at Manchester City and one of the stars he named was Delph.
The Chelsea speedster replied: “Fabian Delph and Kevin De Bruyne.”
Fabian Delph always came across as a leader
While Delph is not the most glamorous of names to have played for Manchester City in recent years, it was evident that he was a leader at the club — especially considering he helped a young Sterling settle in at the club.
During City’s unforgettable ‘Centurions’ season, the Englishman — who was sold to Everton for 10 million (The Sun) in 2019 — led by example by thriving as an inverted left-back and by barking orders at his teammates.
The former Aston Villa midfielder was far from the best or the most high-profile player for the Sky Blues at the time but often, he would instruct his teammates how to approaches matches — both vocally and by gesturing towards them mid-game.
In 2018, Delph was even named England captain during a friendly against USA.
The retired midfielder certainly had an impact at the Etihad Stadium and City supporters should be grateful towards him for also helping one of their best-ever forwards in Sterling feel at home after joining the club.
