Liverpool Star Could Be Dropped From First Team After Complaint

Before the game against Estonia, English starlet Raheem Sterling walked up to the Three Lion’s boss Roy Hodgsonand complained of fatigue, hence the coach decided to start Raheem from the bench. This act has been met with series of backlash as many English fans have queried the youngster’s decision to select the games he’d like to feature in for his country and in fact former England international Alvin Martin has lashed out at Raheem Sterling stating that if the 19-year-old continues that way, he could lose his spot in the national team.

Alvin who won 17 caps for England in the 1980s has wondered why Raheem who has played in every single Liverpool game this season, including their continental actions and the lengthy Capital One tie against Middlesbrough, has now declined to feature for his national team. Alvin further explained to talkSPORT that;

“If Sterling wants to pick and choose games, you’ve got someone like Adam Lallana and other players in the England team who are more than capable of taking on the mantle as the attacking creator of the team”

There is no problem with the players saying they are not 100 per cent, but it is very difficult when you play for England because people are going to look at it in a certain way. There will be lots of football supporters questioning why he is too tired at this stage of the season.’

Sterling has created about 18 chances for the Reds this season and might actually have been spent but there is just a thin line between being a patriot and being a traitor especially when the fans watch you dazzle for your club and then you complain of being tired before an important international match.

However Roy Hodgson doesn’t seem to attach any importance to the issue and has even backed the youngster’s decision. The England boss was quoted by the Mirror to have said;

‘We were training, doing a light session. Raheem had done the warm up and said, I am really feeling a bit tired, and I’m not in my best form at the moment because I am feeling a bit tired. So I said best thing is Adam Lallana starts the game and you rest and I bring you on from the bench.

Now, from what we can deduce from the action, there was nothing wrong with Raheem and even his coach said so. However, the irate fans should not overlook the fact that the youngster might just be acting in the best interest of the English national team. If he was actually tired, and Hodgson insisted on fielding him, what is the probability that the attacking midfielder will be at his best? So as far as the player and coach understand themselves and thankfully England got a win, they should just cut the teenager some slacks.