Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling has expressed his desire to return to the England national team, with a new manager set to take the helm.
The 29-year-old was a pivotal figure during Gareth Southgate’s tenure, playing a key role in the 2018 World Cup and 2020 European Championship campaigns.
However, he has spent the past two years on the outside looking in and hasn’t featured for the Three Lions since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Southgate stepped down as England manager after the gut-wrenching Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain, and the Football Association (FA) have begun the process of hiring his successor.
With a new manager comes a clean slate, and Sterling, who has won 82 caps for the national team, is eager to capitalise on the opening and reclaim his place on the England squad.
“If the opportunity comes around, it is something that I’ve always dreamt of as a kid and managed to do it,” Sterling told The Athletic.
“I had some great memories with the national team. You say it like I’m 38 or something. Football has different timings, there was a period with a lot of injuries and comebacks.
“It was a different part of my life. I am looking forward to getting back in the England set-up, that is for sure.”
Asked if he missed being part of the squad this summer, Sterling replied: “Of course, I love playing for England. It is one of the best feelings you can ever have.
“To see the boys out there brought me joy, to be honest, they were the only games I watched — the England ones. I love playing for England.”
Sterling will need to significantly improve on his output for Chelsea to bolster his chances of returning to the England squad ahead of next month’s Nations League curtain raiser.
Since his big-money move from Manchester City two years ago, he has only scored 13 Premier League goals for Chelsea.
He returned ten goals and eight assists in 43 games across all competitions under Mauricio Pochettino last season. He will look to better that tally with Enzo Maresca at the helm.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
