Raheem Sterling reveals he is ‘looking forward’ to being welcomed back into England set-up under new manager – after being frozen out since the 2022 World Cup

Raheem Sterling says he is looking forward to returning to England. The 29-year-old is confident he can flourish in Enzo Maresca’s system at Chelsea.

Sterling excelled at Manchester City and played in a similar style of play and will hope to be recalled to the national team if he can replicate that form at Stamford Bridge.

The dynamic dribbler last appeared for England in December 2022 in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. After featuring extensively during Chelsea’s tour of the United States, he said: ‘I love playing for England.

“It’s one of the best feelings you can ever have. Seeing the boys there (at Euro 2024) brought me joy. To be honest, the only games I watched were England’s.

“I love playing for England. If the opportunity comes, it’s something I’ve always dreamed of as a kid. You say that as if I’m 38 or something! Football has different times.

Sterling’s last appearance was for England at the 2022 World Cup, but he has been sidelined since

“There was a period of injuries and comebacks. It was a different part of my life. I’m looking forward to getting back into the England line-up, that’s for sure.”

Chelsea open their Premier League campaign at home to City, who Sterling scored against home and away last season, including a 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Asked if Maresca’s philosophy is similar to Pep Guardiola’s and whether that can help him succeed, Sterling said: ‘The best of me. The best of the team.

“He’s come in and shown his authority, the way he wants to play. Yes, some of the results weren’t nice to watch, but with the ball the right information is being passed on, you can see the patterns coming through. It’s still early days.

‘You see where we want to go, you see the way we try to play and in that way mistakes are made in the beginning and in some games it costs us.

“But the manager is highlighting what we can do better. It’s a learning process for the whole group and we’re picking it up very quickly. The Premier League is coming very soon, so I think these are good times.”

The Chelsea star is actively looking forward to the day he returns to the national team

He believes Enzo Maresca’s philosophy will bring out the best in him and the Chelsea team

Sterling started two of Chelsea’s five friendlies in the United States, coming on as a substitute in the other three. He has shown some positive signs since working under Maresca, saying: ‘I see a lot of potential within the team.

“The group is young, but with the players we have, we have to mature very quickly, which is happening. You see that sometimes we play good football and we have to simplify certain things and the results will come our way to be able to compete.”