Stoke vs Manchester City: Kevin de Bruyne puzzled why 'great player' Raheem Sterling is target for abuse

Stoke City 1 Manchester City 4: The England winger endured a torrid tournament with Roy Hodgson’s hapless squad which capitulated to Iceland at the last-16 stage

Raheem Sterling was booed by Stoke fans on Saturday (Getty)

Kevin de Bruyne knows what it’s like to have under-achieved at Euro 2016, but at least the Belgium international has been able to slip under the radar quietly back into English football.

Not so, Raheem Sterling. The England winger endured a torrid tournament with Roy Hodgson’s hapless squad which capitulated to Iceland at the last-16 stage.

Criticised by England supporters in France and back home for his listless efforts, Sterling has continued to run the gauntlet following the start of the Premier League season.

In his first away game at Stoke on Saturday, all of Sterling’s early touches were greeted with boos by the home fans.

De Bruyne, part of the ‘Golden Generation’ of Belgium footballers whose quarter-final defeat to Wales spelled the exit for coach Marc Wilmots, is perplexed by the reaction, but at least saw Sterling enjoy the satisfaction of contributing hugely to an impressive City victory which extended their 100 per cent start under manager Pep Guardiola.

“He’s a great player,” said De Bruyne of his City team-mate. “I don’t care what people say about him after last year or the Euros. These things happen, footballers have ups and downs. Hopefully he can continue this for us now because he is very dangerous.

“I don’t know how it goes in England when he plays for the national team. Obviously he’s been criticised a lot in the last year but the way he’s responding is great. You can talk as much as you want off the pitch but you have to show it on.

Kevin de Bruyne cannot fathom why Sterling has come in for criticism (Getty)

“I don’t think he’s really bothered about people talking about him. Everywhere he goes in England there are lots of fans of the opposing team shouting at him.

“I don’t know why because he’s a great English player. They should be supporting him instead of booing him. But that’s the way it goes. The City supporters will cheer him.”

That was certainly the case at the Britannia Stadium where Sterling, thriving under Guardiola, was a constant threat to a Stoke side which had lost only once at home to City in their previous eight home Premier League games, even if he did conceded the penalty that briefly allowed Mark Hughes’s side back into the game.

Sterling was ruled by referee Mike Dean to have pushed Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross, who had also fallen foul of the official earlier in the piece when he gave away a spot-kick for grabbing the arm of Nicolas Otamendi following a corner.

Dean certainly activated to the full the new directive given to referees in a bid to stop fouling in the penalty area from set-plays and Stoke’s former England international Peter Crouch, who watched on as an unused substitute, believes players are going to have change their way if Dean’s interpretation is the new yardstick for officials.

“I think we’ll probably have a meeting and talk about it this week because we can’t give penalties away like that. Giving Man City a goal of a start like that, it’s so hard to come back,” said Crouch.

“We were told they were going to give more penalties this year so we can’t say we weren’t given a warning.

“Even so, when you see it in the cold light of day it’s hard to take. If you’re going to give penalties away like that there are going to be a lot of penalties and people will be asking for consistency.

“A few years ago it was part and parcel of the game. You just knew a defender was going to hold you and impede you. As we’ve seen today it’s going to be a long season for defenders and if I get a game it will be difficult for me as well when I come back for corners.”

One striker unlikely to complain is Sergio Aguero, who recovered from missing two penalties in City’s Champions League win over Steaua Bucharest to score this one before heading in his sixth goal in three games from a De Bruyne free-kick.

Bojan Krkic’s penalty just after the break reduced the arrears but two late goals from City substitute Nolito ensured City’s ultimately emphatic victory.