Raheem Sterling has opened up on his relationship with Chelsea and England teammates Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell following his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The 27-year-old arrived in a £50 million deal from Manchester City, putting an end to his spell at the Etihad with a year left on his contract.
Sterling made his first appearance in a Chelsea shirt in the Blues’ 5-3 penalty shoot-out defeat to Charlotte FC on Thursday morning.
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The winger played the second-half after Christian Pulisic put his side ahead going into the break.
Daniel Rios scored late on to take the match to penalties, following a handball on Trevoh Chalobah before Conor Gallagher’s miss from the spot saw the Blues fall to defeat.
Thomas Tuchel admitted that Sterling was impressive in his movement as the German had ‘no major criticism’ regarding the new signing’s debut.
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“I saw four accelerations in the second half I think and they all came from Raheem,” he said.
“There is no need for major doubts or criticism, but it's never important what the manager has in his head ahead of pre-season.”
The winger has settled in well to life as a Chelsea player, helped by the fact that he has existing relationships with several Blues players.
Playing alongside Mount, Chilwell and Reece James for the England national team, Sterling admitted that the existing relationships with Chelsea players has benefited him.
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Speaking to Chelsea’s official website, Sterling said: “I know a few of the boys from national team, Mase and Chilly to name a few.”
He continued to reveal that it is not just the pair that he shares a strong bond with, finding common ground with Callum Hudson-Odoi as a winger, also.
“I’ve got a good connection with Callum already,” he continued.
"Playing against each other you speak to players on match days as well.
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“It’s always been a group that has always been a good feel. They welcomed me really well. I can’t wait to gel even more with them.”
Sterling will be hopeful of helping his new side close the gap to his old team, with Chelsea finishing as many as 19 points behind Man City last season.
The Blues will be hopeful of adding to last season’s UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup with further trophies in the upcoming season while Tuchel will be hopeful of bringing further additions to the squad ahead of the new season.
Topics: Chelsea, Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount, Ben Chilwell, Football, Premier League
Nick Emms