'Sad to See’—Thomas Tuchel Weighs in on Raheem Sterling’s ‘Downward Spiral’

England manager Thomas Tuchel has offered his support to Raheem Sterling, who pled guilty to dangerous driving charges last month and is currently without a club.

The 31-year-old finally left Chelsea by mutual consent in January and spent the second half of last season with Dutch club Feyenoord. There, Sterling made eight Eredivisie appearances without scoring and wasn’t retained beyond the summer.

No club has picked him up since, and Sterling’s woes haven’t merely been constrained to the soccer field.

In May, he crashed his Lamborghini into a metal gate following an incident on the M25 and M3. At the scene, Sterling was caught with six nitrous oxide canisters, and bodycam footage released by the police in September, after he pleaded guilty to the charges, showed him trying to move them onto the back seat.

He’s been heavily scrutinized in the aftermath, but a friendly face has publicly supported the 31-year-old in Tuchel, who asked Todd Boehly to prioritise Sterling’s arrival at Stamford Bridge in 2022.

Tuchel Backs Sterling to Overcome ‘Downward Spiral’

Thomas Tuchel — Tuchel has emerged as an ally. | Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Even Tuchel would argue that Sterling’s switch from Man City to Chelsea was where it all started to go wrong. The winger, who broke through at Liverpool and joined the Cityzens as part of a $75 million deal in 2014, developed into a star under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium, notching five consecutive double-digit-goal Premier League seasons between 2017–18 and 2021–22.

"I have a lot of sympathy for him, and I feel that he has struggled ever since he left Man City and he was at the peak of his career," Tuchel told reporters on Friday.

Sterling scored 13 in his final campaign with the Cityzens before signing for the Blues in 2022. While he only worked with Tuchel briefly, the Englishman was pretty productive during his first two seasons in west London, recording 24 Premier League goal contributions.

But things went awry thereafter, and a loan to Arsenal did Sterling no favors. He had no future at Chelsea under Enzo Maresca, spending much of his time with the Italian’s “bomb squad,” and eventually cut ties with the club earlier this year.

At Feyenoord, he was mocked and jeered by his own supporters. Then came the Lamborghini incident.

“It’s sad to see that someone struggles because he was a devoted father to his children and he was a family guy, a nice guy to be around,” Tuchel added.

The England manager is confident that Sterling can overturn his “downward spiral” and get back on his feet, but given what he’s shown on the pitch over the past couple of years—a far cry from the Man City superstar who performed on the biggest stages for England—who’s going to believe in the 31-year-old now?

Is Raheem Sterling’s Career Over?

For the average professional yet to celebrate their 32nd birthday, few would be suggesting they’re over the hill. Not in this day and age. Players are enjoying longer careers, with Luka Modrić, Cristiano Ronaldo and Thiago Silva (freak anomalies, admittedly) either still going strong at the highest level or throwing tantrums in their 40s.

Some aspire to defy Father Time, but those whose careers burned brightly at a young age are seemingly less likely to embark on Tom Brady-like arcs into middle age. Sterling was 17 when he made his Premier League debut for Liverpool, and as a teenager, he was a key member of the side that chased the title in 2013–14.

His peak years arrived with Guardiola at Man City, and the forgettable spells at Arsenal and Feyenoord mean Sterling has over 600 senior club appearances to his name. Importantly, he’s avoided major injuries. The likes of Michael Owen and Eden Hazard, fellow teenage stars, each had their careers cut short or stymied due to fitness setbacks.

Sterling may feel as if he has something left to give, but as he awaits sentencing for dangerous driving and the possession of nitrous oxide, a substance the player admits he has a “problem” with, another shot at the highest level appears somewhat of a pipe dream.

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