Raheem Sterling has joined Feyenoord on a contract until the end of the season, becoming a free agent after terminating his Chelsea deal in January. The 31-year-old winger, capped 82 times by England, had not played a competitive game since the final day of last season while on loan at Arsenal.
Sterling endured a difficult spell at Chelsea after being banished from the first-team squad by then manager Enzo Maresca. Speaking about his move, Sterling said: 'As a free agent, I’ve had, for the first time in a long time, the opportunity to control the next step in my career. I wanted to take my time to speak with clubs and their head coaches to better understand the role they envisioned for me and ensure that I can add real value in this next chapter.'
He added: 'Having spoken in great detail with Robin [van Persie, the Feyenoord manager], I’m confident that Feyenoord is a place I can be happy and establish myself as a valued member of the team. Playing abroad is a whole new challenge for me and one I’m ready to embrace. Honestly, I’m just excited to get started.'
Van Persie, the former Netherlands striker, expressed his delight at the signing, saying: 'Naturally, it’s a fantastic feat that we’ve managed to convince a player of Raheem’s calibre to sign with us. His football resume speaks for itself: he’s a player whose qualities can change the outcome of a game without a doubt, and I am convinced he will turn out to be a valuable addition to the team.'
