Raheem Sterling responds to England recall question after Feyenoord debut as ex-Chelsea star's nine-month wait for competitive minutes ends

Ex-Liverpool and Manchester City star Sterling has earned 82 caps for the Three Lions, scoring 20 international goals. He has starred at major international tournaments and knows that another is fast approaching in 2026.

The four-time Premier League title winner has, however, spent several months stuck in the shadows at Stamford Bridge. He escaped that nightmare when agreeing to the mutual termination of his contract in west London. A fresh start is being embraced in the Netherlands.

Having linked up with former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie at Feyenoord, Sterling made his debut for the Dutch giants when stepping off the bench in a 2-1 win over Telstar. 

With places in England’s World Cup squad still up for grabs, Sterling told ESPN when asked if he has been in contact with Thomas Tuchel: “I haven't spoken with him. Just keep playing football, that's what's most important.”

Sterling previously worked with Tuchel at Chelsea. The German tactician was the man to sanction a £47.5 million ($64m) swoop for the energetic winger in 2022 and said at the time: “He was the absolute number one for that position. I gave his name to Todd [Boehly] straight away.

“Every time we played against him. He’s horrible to play against, horrible! The main point is his intensity and the amount of repetition of intensity that he delivers. This is simply outstanding over the last years.

“He caused huge trouble when he played against us and once you dig in deeper into his data and not only statistics in his goal involvements, it’s outstanding. It’s exactly what we need to raise the level of our players. That’s why we are so sure and that’s why he was, for us, top of the list.”

Sterling has not played for England since the 2022 World Cup, having endured a tough time at club level. His last domestic appearance came on May 25, 2025 when lining up for loan employers Arsenal against Southampton.

He has signed a short-term contract with Feyenoord through to the end of the season, after becoming a free agent. He was forced to train in Belgium after completing that switch, with a work permit being delayed that granted him permission to play in the Netherlands.

Sterling is now up and running and added on returning to the field after severing ties with Chelsea’s infamous ‘bomb squad’: “Been a great introduction. The trip to Belgium, I think that was for myself a very good one to get integrated with the boys, and get to know your team-mates and know what they're about, so it was very enjoyable.”

Sterling went on to say of working his way back towards full match sharpness: “Haven't played in a little bit, but just trying to keep fit. Been with the team now for a little bit, so it's just all on building a step at a time and trying to get to match fitness.

“Good to start your first game with a win, think that's the most important. [With] the targets that we're chasing, so a good debut.”

Feyenoord boss Van Persie considers Sterling to boast “exceptional quality” and believes a positive impact will be made in new surroundings. He has, however, pointed out that the experienced forward is not yet ready to play a full 90 minutes.

As Sterling is eased into the fold, with his game time set to be stepped up from here, Feyenoord have cemented their second-place standing in the Eredivisie table and remain on course to secure Champions League qualification.