'A lot that people don't see' - Chelsea fans slammed for ‘harsh and unfair’ Raheem Sterling criticism by Blues youngster Noni Madueke

After making a high-profile move from Chelsea's Premier League rivals in the summer of 2022, the former Manchester City winger has found it difficult to win over fans at Stamford Bridge, finding it difficulty to stay consistent over large spells. Due to his general struggles this term, the 29-year-old has also lost his spot in Gareth Southgate's England lineup and will likely miss the Euros in Germany.

When Chelsea defeated Leicester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals earlier this month, Sterling was jeered throughout after a dismal performance. Many fans have called for Chelsea to let go of the high-earning winger this summer amid reports of Saudi Arabia's interest; however, it has also been reported that the Englishman wants to stay with the team and win over the supporters. And Madueke is the latest to call on he support of Sterling.

Speaking to Daily Mail, Madueke said [via Metro UK]: "It’s so important (to support him). I’m nobody to tell you not to have an opinion but I also have mine. That’s one of my teammates and the criticism is harsh and unfair. It’s our duty to voice our opinion and try to change the narrative a bit.

"Raheem is an exceptional footballer and an even better person. It’s a bit upsetting when I see some of the criticism. I’m sure he can handle it but we know how important he is for us. He’s definitely a big brother figure for a lot of us. There is a lot that people don’t see. All I know is that he’s exceptional and super committed to the cause."

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino echoed Madueke's words: "It's about to be calm now and accept the situation. The most important [thing] is to deal with this situation with our experience. We cannot create bigger things that were emotional at some point. I really believe our fans love our players and for sure they are going to support him and the result of the team.

"The teammates need to be good teammates and can talk and express the emotions. But I think we need to be careful in the way we are talking and give our opinions because we need to build a relationship with everyone. I said after the game [vs Leicester] I don't agree because always the players want to play well and score goals. This type of situation is bigger to only pay attention to what happened.

"I was also suffering the anger of the fans because of the disappointment of the fans. The whole team were suffering but the most important thing is Raheem is an experienced player. Of course he understands. Look, we need to move on, to try, for us to help to protect the player, that is our responsibility and the player to understand they need to make the effort to try and convince the fans we are in a very good way."

It will be interesting to see what kind of reception Chelsea fans will afford to Sterling, whether he start or comes off the bench, during Chelsea's clash against Burnley on Saturday at Stamford Bridge.