Stoke City vs Manchester City: Pep Guardiola backs Raheem Sterling to continue sparking start to new season

The former Liverpool winger looked last season to be weighed down by the £49m price tag

Raheem Sterling seems a different player under Pep Guardiola (Getty)

In a summer of great change at Manchester City, one player to have benefitted from the new regime is Raheem Sterling.

The former Liverpool winger looked last season to be weighed down by the size of the £49m price tag that took him from Merseyside to Manchester, as well as the regression the team suffered in Manuel Pellegrini’s last season in charge.

That was followed by a wretched Euro 2016 with England, where Sterling was of one the biggest under-achievers of Roy Hodgson’s disastrous finale, attracting widespread criticism from supporters as his form and confidence appeared to desert him in equal measures.

With competition for places at Manchester City increasing with the signing of Germany international Leroy Sane from Schalke, and new City manager Pep Guardiola a devotee of technique and possession football, it also threatened to be a testing return to club football.

But Sterling has found an ally in Guardiola, and with Sane yet to play because of injury, the 21-year-old has enjoyed an encouraging start to the new season, with his direct running earning City penalties in their opening two wins over Sunderland in the Premier League and Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League.

“I spoke with him the same as I spoke with the rest of the players,” said Guardiola by way of an explanation for Sterling’s return to form under the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach, “to say what we are looking for, encourage, go out and play one against one, two against one, it doesn’t matter if you lose the ball, we are there to sustain you. So just play.

Pep Guardiola thanks the travelling City supporters in mid-week (Getty)

“Without his quality it’s impossible, the quality is there. He showed at Liverpool and some of the moments of last season. The people who have the quality to dribble have to dribble, the people have the quality to beat a man with a pass they have to do that. I like the wingers. I love to play the wingers. They play to go wide and take a risk in the last part of the field.

“I spoke with Rodolfo Burrell, the guy who helps us in my staff. He was his trainer in Liverpool in the academy and in the summer time he told me he is a really good player, a fighter, he can run 90 minutes, back and front.

“I am really pleased because he show us, but he’s a young player. It's a long, long (way) to improve, so he has the challenge to improve and become better player and we are delighted to be here to help him. He’s a very nice guy and I like to work with very nice persons.”

Sterling’s progress, which will be tested today at Stoke City where City lost 2-0 last season and have won just once in eight Premier League visits, contrasts sharply with that of England team- mate Joe Hart.

The goalkeeper has been left on the bench for City’s first two games of the season, with Guardiola preferring the claims of Willy Caballero for his supposedly superior ball distribution.

The City manager is also keen to sign Claudio Bravo from Barcelona to add to the competition in goal. Guardiola insists Hart can be part of that battle but conceded yesterday that he will allow the 29-year-old, who is thought to be keen on a move, to leave the Etihad Stadium if he asks to go.

Joe Hart is free to leave Manchester City if he wants to, says Pep Guardiola (Getty)

Guardiola added: “I want happiness for the players. I don't want players to stay here if they don't want. All the players here have a contract. If they decide they want to stay they are going to stay. I spoke with them all. They all know exactly what the situation is.

“Up until the 31st of this month everything is open with the people who are coming and the people who leaving. In September I will know exactly which people are going to live together, fight together, enjoy together, to discuss together all the situations that are going to happen during the season.

“Maybe Joe will stay here and be a player who will fight with the other goalkeepers to convince me to play (him). It’s simple like that. He knows from the beginning what I feel and what is the situation.”

The situation appears to be similar for Yaya Toure with Guardiola saying the midfielder can have a part to play “if he wants to stay.”

Meanwhile, Sane and fellow summer recruit Ilkay Gundogan trained with City's first-team squad for the first time yesterday, following injury, while captain Vincent Kompany has moved into the final stage of his rehabilitation after being sidelined since April with the latest in a long line of calf problems.