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Raheem Sterling Jack GrealishGetty
Gill Clark

Jack Grealish responds to 'f*cking stupid' criticism of Raheem Sterling after ex-England team-mate's Feyenoord debut

R. Sterling
J. Grealish
Match
Feyenoord vs Telstar
Feyenoord
Telstar
Eredivisie
Premier League
Manchester City
Everton
England

Jack Grealish has defended Raheem Sterling after the winger came in for criticism online in the wake of his debut for Feyenoord. Sterling completed a free transfer to the Eredivisie club on February 12 in a bid to get his career back on track after being frozen out at Chelsea. His first competitive appearance in over nine months came in a 2-1 win over Telstar.

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  • Sterling debuts for Feyenoord

    Sterling made the move to Feyenoord as a free agent but had to wait to make his debut due to a delay in obtaining a work permit. After the requisite paperwork finally arrived, Sterling took his bow for Robin van Persie's side as a substitute against Telstar. The victory was Feyenoord's third in a row and means the team sit in second place in the Eredivisie table, five points ahead of NEC but a distant 14 points behind leaders PSV.

    The winger spoke about his delight at returning to action after the game, telling ESPN: "Been a great introduction. 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."

  • Raheem STerlingIMAGO

    Sterling called 'Bambi on ice'

    Sterling's debut brought criticism on Instagram from an account called footballpark, which boasts 96,000 followers. A post on the account read: "Raheem Sterling’s debut for Feyenoord was not exactly a success story – in fact, it looked like a veritable disaster from the Dutch club’s point of view. The English winger looked like Bambi on ice.  On a downward spiral since 2022, lacking motivation, and seemingly unable to play under anyone who isn’t named Pep Guardiola, Sterling is well and truly into his twilight years. Is it time to hang the boots up once and for all?"

  • Grealish jumps to Sterling's defence

    As per the Daily Mail, Grealish responded with his own post defending his former Manchester City and England team-mate. He wrote: "What a f*****g stupid Instagram post man what's wrong with you guys. Guy hasn't played or trained for so long. Ppl like u guys is what wrong with the world. Have some respect."

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  • Van Persie's verdict on Sterling

    Van Persie has previously admitted it will take Sterling some time to get up to speed after his time on the sidelines at Chelsea. He told reporters: "Raheem trained last Tuesday, for the first time with the group. That was his first time in a group in several months. When you see the choices he makes in small moments, how quickly he thinks and switches, you see that other players also see it and respond to it. That's how it works.

    "You also want to show each other that you're good too. That was evident in those training sessions. In my opinion, he's a player of exceptional quality. He showed that in those training sessions. I enjoyed seeing that, and so did his teammates.

    "How match-fit are you after not playing for six months? It depends on how he gets through tomorrow. That looks positive. But we have to be careful with him. We'll talk to Raheem about that. He needs some time to be able to play 90 minutes. That won't be Sunday and it won't be next week either. But we'll try to get there as soon as possible. We'll do it our way, as quickly as possible, but responsibly and calmly."

  • Raheem Sterling Feyenoord 2025-26Getty

    What comes next?

    Sterling will be hoping for more minutes on Sunday when Feyenoord return to action against Twente. The winger's deal with the club runs until the end of the season and he's hoping to make an impact in the next few months. He said at his unveiling. "Having spoken in great detail with Robin, I'm confident that Feyenoord is a place I can be happy and establish myself as a valued member of the team. Playing abroad is a whole new challenge for me -- and one I'm ready to embrace. Honestly, I'm just excited to get started. To Feyenoord and particularly Robin and [general manager] Dennis [te Kloese], thank you for your patience and professionalism as I navigated this process."