Back in the summer transfer window of 2015, Manchester City concluded a long-running saga by sealing a deal for forward Raheem Sterling.
The England international had been playing his football at fellow Premier League giants Liverpool in the years previous and was certainly making a name for himself at Anfield, playing a key part in their title challenge in the 2013/14 season by netting nine times for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Yet the 23-year-old then opted against penning a new deal with the Merseysiders and eventually joined City in the summer of 2015, a move which prompted much excitement and indeed expectation from several Citizens supporters on Twitter…
Scenes when Sterling scores in front of the kop and kisses the city badge
— Serg. (@TheKunEffect) July 14, 2015
Absolutely buzzing with this signing! Welcome to Manchester, Raheem Sterling. #WelcomeRaheem #MCFC
— Luke Jeffrey Wilkinson (@LJWilkinson12) July 14, 2015
@MCFC ridiculous money for a fairly unproven player but good signing finally a bit of pace in the team!
— Daniel Crowe (@DannyCrowe) July 14, 2015
@MCFC @sterling31 welcome to Manchester Raheem can’t wait to see you link up with @21LVA @aguerosergiokun ya gonna destroy teams
— Gaz Linkman (@gtolinkman) July 16, 2015
@MCFC @sterling31 GOAT
— SagnaBoy (@SagnaBoy) July 16, 2015
Drolling at the thought of Silva-Aguero-Sterling front 3.
— Emmett (@TheEmmett_) July 14, 2015
@MCFC @sterling31 #you are welcome sterling, as we look forward seeing you become the best player in the world. Our expectations are high.
— EARNEST (@paulearnest73) July 15, 2015
@MCFC @sterling31 prove the doubters wrong by win us bucket loads of titles #WelcomeRaheem #mcfc #together
— Mario Fakhri (@thefortyfour) July 16, 2015
It’s been one annoying saga, but we really wanted Sterling. and now he’s ours. I personally don’t care that much about the price.
— ㅤ (@DareToRoss) July 14, 2015
And while it took Sterling a little bit of time to get into his groove at the Etihad Stadium, those City fans that expected a lot from the Englishman certainly won’t be disappointed with what he has delivered in the last few years.
Ultimately, the winger was deemed as one of the most exciting young talents in Europe when he moved to City three years ago, only to struggle to just six Premier League goals in his first season at the club, before adding only seven the season after in Pep Guardiola’s opening campaign in charge of the Citizens.
Thus, some questions were being asked of Sterling about whether or not he would be able to fulfil his potential, but it’s clear, even during the 2016/17 season, that he was improving under the guidance of Guardiola, before going on to prove all his doubters wrong last season in City’s march to the Premier League title.
The 23-year-old scored 18 goals in just 33 Premier League matches as Guardiola’s men romped to their third league title in the last six years, with Sterling eventually finishing the campaign with 23 goals in all competitions to finish behind only Sergio Aguero in the club’s goal-scoring charts.
And while goals still seem to evade him on the international stage with England, Sterling has backed last season up in the early phases of this term with four goals and three assists in nine appearances for the Citizens, thus suggesting that he will again play a key part in what success Guardiola’s men have this time round.
As such, while things maybe didn’t start too well for Sterling at the Etihad Stadium, there is no doubting that he is slowly but surely becoming the player his potential always suggested he would, with the 23-year-old certainly delivering on the expectations those City fans had when he made the move to the club three years ago.
Man City fans… what do you think? Let us know!
