'Carrying extra weight' - Raheem Sterling reveals how diet change affected maiden Chelsea season and vows to 'eat a little less'

• Sterling suffered hamstring injuries
• Blamed his weight for the issue
• Has altered his diet ahead of new season

WHAT HAPPENED? The winger suffered from hamstring injuries in the middle of his debut season at the Blues, limiting him to 28 Premier League appearances. He believes the fitness issues were down to his weight and he has already altered his diet to give him a better chance of staying fit next term.

WHAT THEY SAID: "In the season I changed a bit of my diet and went to do something a little bit different that I had not done before," he said at a press conference. “And I had a little bit more kilograms on me that I have not had before. I think probably carrying a little bit of extra weight I had a few hamstring problems and that was it. Towards the end of the season the hamstring was playing up again. Me and the manager made a decision together that the best thing for me to do was to get the hamstring right.”

When Sterling was about what he has changed, he said: "Just eating a little bit less."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The 28-year-old has been put through some intense training sessions since Mauricio Pochettino took over as Chelsea coach this summer.

"It is probably the most I have run in a long time, but it is good," he said when asked about Pochettino's regime. "When I first heard that he was going to be the manager I think it was an exciting one because of the many years I have played against his teams and I know how difficult it is to play against his teams."

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR STERLING? The England international will likely be involved when Chelsea take on Brighton in a friendly in Philadelphia on Saturday.