Uefa Nations League 2019: What next for Raheem Sterling ahead of 50th England cap? ‘The sky is the limit’

It’s been quite the year for Raheem Sterling. On the pitch, the 24-year-old has reached new heights in his career. One domestic treble. A glut of prestigious accolades. And 26 goals and 18 assists to boot. His most impressive haul yet. Off the pitch, the Manchester City forward has taken up his place as a trailblazer in the fight against racism. Through his words and actions, Sterling has exposed and cracked the layer of complicity that coats all aspects of modern football – from a nefarious media contingent to the governing bodies and figures that, in spite of their hollow words, continue to shirk responsibility.

Not, then, a typical season. Anything but. The sense, though, is that this is just the beginning. Having smashed through the glass ceiling over the course of the past 12 months, it’s safe to assume there’s more to come from Sterling the footballer – as well as Sterling the pioneer.

Fabian Delph, who has played alongside the youngster since he was 19 – when “he looked like a little baby” – is one of those who believes his England and City teammate has yet to reach his full potential.

“He’s an amazing young man, people forget he’s only 24,” he says. “When he came to City he had three seasons under his belt and he’s not that young in football terms but he’s always had the mindset he will be one of the best players in the world. For the last four or five years he’s never questioned himself and I’ve never questioned him.

“People [would] always question what type of player he’d be and whether he’d go to the next level but I was like ‘This kid has everything. Once he finds his path and what works for him you’re going to see something incredible.’

“I believe he’s operating at about 80 per cent so if he can push himself a little more – which he will because his mindset is very good – so in the next couple of years the sky’s the limit.”

Delph’s praise – effusive as it his considered – comes ahead of Sterling’s 50th international cap, which he’s due to earn in England’s Nations League semi-final against the Netherlands this Thursday. The 24-year-old’s relationship with the national side has been far from straightforward, though.

Initially maligned by certain corners of the press and England fanbase, concerns were raised over what the player could offer. His technical abilities were never in doubt – his capacity to bamboozle opponents with his pace and tricksy running has been evident from day one – but an apparent inability to score seemed conclusive evidence for some. In spite of the work he put in for the team – his runs, the space he created, the opportunities he made – many were unwilling to look past the numbers.

That has since changed. The mood around Sterling has shifted. Those nagging doubts have dissipated, while sceptical England fans are now more appreciative of the player’s contributions beyond those in front of goal.

Looking back, it took a handful of goals against Spain in the Nations League to convince his critics and prove that he was capable of recreating his City performances for England. That brace ended a three-year goal drought – stretching back to October 2015 against Estonia – and in the process helped to lift the burden of expectation that had no doubt rested heavy on his shoulders. Sterling hasn’t looked back since under Gareth Southgate, scoring a hat-trick against Czech Republic in March before finding the back of the net three days later against Montenegro.

The latter of those two games notably saw Sterling – and his fellow black teammates – once again subject to racist abuse. But as has been the case for much of his career, the City man let his feet do the talking. “He’s got the strongest mindset I’ve ever come across in football,” Delph says of the racism repeatedly directed Sterling’s way. “Vincent Kompany is another one, he is very strong mentally. Nothing fazes Raheem, he is very confident in himself.

“I’ve watched him mature a lot over the years, he’s still the same guy who I met when he was 19, the only difference is people are paying attention to what type of person he is and trying to know Raheem a little more. Everyone can see how kind and humble and what a good player he is.

“He seems to let his football do the talking.”

Except when he opens his mouth to speak. In the wake of that European Championship qualifier – in which England thumped their Montenegrin hosts 5-1 – Sterling once again took centre stage as he called on Uefa and Fifa to implement tougher punishments in dealing with racism in the game.

On this front, Sterling shows no signs of taking his foot off the pedal. Last month he called for point deductions in response to incidents of racism. “Teams getting (points) deductions, teams getting kicked out... this is when people start taking it seriously,” he said. “If I go to a football game and I support Manchester United, for example, I don’t want to be the person that lets my team down by saying silly remarks in a stadium.

“If you know your team is going to get deducted nine points and not win the league, you are not going to say these racist remarks even though you shouldn’t have it in your head.”

The Premier League later announced it would be willing to meet with Sterling to discuss such proposals, admitting more support was needed for football’s BAME players. Should these talks prove fruitful in equipping the current campaign with the bite it needs to properly confront racism, it will be yet another crowning moment for the footballer – and the latest measure of his significance beyond the game.

While we can only wait to see how this development pans out, Delph is in no doubt of what the future holds for Sterling on the pitch. “There’s a lot of young guys in the squad that could possibly go on to get 100-plus caps, not just Raheem,” he says. “But from knowing him and what his mindset is like, I’m pretty sure that he’s got that in the back of his mind that he wants to go and break that record or head towards it.

“While I’m still with him, or while I’m still in contact with him, I’m going to be pushing him daily because I know he’s got another 20 per cent in him.”