Raheem Sterling has declared his ambition of winning the Champions League with Chelsea after outlining his plans to nurture the youth following the abuse he suffered back in 2018 at Stamford Bridge.
The 27-year-old, who made the £47.5 million transfer from Manchester City this summer, made his debut last weekend during the 1-0 win over Everton, but will make his home debut against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.
Sterling will return to the stadium where back in 2018, when Man City lost 2-0 to Chelsea, he was the subject of racial abuse that saw one permanently banned from Stamford Bridge, with five others receiving temporary bans.
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The England international wants to turn the attack into a positive and insisted he wouldn’t let the incident change his view of Chelsea.
He said: “I think that conversation opened the door for me personally in the sense where it made me understand what my true purpose is other than football.
“Of course, football is my main goal and talent but the other thing that gives me the most joy. And that’s helping people.
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“So from that incident, I’ve moved away from the racial side of it and focusing on more helping and nurturing young black people.
“It wasn’t something that played on my mind at all (when making the move). I can’t let an incident from individuals change my perception of the club."
He added: “I have no hatred or malice towards the individual. That’s something that I could do right here, right now or tomorrow. That’s not an issue.
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“My main focus has been to move away from the racial kind of thing and to focus more on nurturing and feeding the youth, like myself growing up, and giving them a map to what world lies ahead and show them that they can manifest a lot of stuff if they just put the time in and look after themselves."
As Sterling begins his new life in the capital at Stamford Bridge, he is hoping for success under Thomas Tuchel, stating his Champions League plans, after detailing his reasons for leaving Manchester City.
"It was a big surprise (losing his starting role),” continued Sterling to reporters at Cobham.
“A massive surprise. A change of events all of a sudden. It's something I had to handle, and that's why I'm here. The manager, myself, and the people at the club know exactly what the reasons were.
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"I tried to play my football and overcome the situation, but it couldn't be done. So I had to move on.
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"From playing against Chelsea, I know what the football club stands for. And of course, seeing the finals they've reached in the last few years, I know they are winning stuff and always challenging.
"I have got to play some football to see that. I haven't played Champions League football with Chelsea yet. They have obviously won it. I haven't. They have got bragging rights. But again, I am here to try to win it.
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"I don't know if I am better off here or there (at Man City) – it is not really my forte. I will just go out and try to help the team as I do every season."
Topics: Raheem Sterling, Chelsea, Manchester City, Champions League, Premier League, Football
Matthew Debono