A biography for Raheem Sterlinghasn’t been written yet.
“As a young boy - I was 20-21, around that age - I didn't think I was being treated right. It can affect anyone, not just me. It was about how I bounced back, how I had to think and sit down and try to move on. Not let that defeat me.”
“My mum thinks she knows her football. She'll certainly tell me when I'm not doing something right. At other times, she'll say I'm not listening to her. There's been a few clashes with her.”
“I am not saying I don't think I'm good, but I'm not the type of player to have an ego or big myself up.”
“I'm still short now, but when I was 14, I was like a pencil. You had to be aggressive and hold your own.”
“It's something I've always wanted to do: wear the number 10 for England.”
“I don't think I'm the most confident person, but I have people around me who, while they don't say I am the greatest thing in football, have a general belief in me.”
“I've got that face. You know when you see someone on TV and go, 'I don't like him?' Some people have that face, and I've got it. I can't do anything about it.”
“I had a rough year, my first year at Man City, a big club for a big transfer fee. There was a lot of talk, a lot of pressure, and I didn't think I was being spoken about in a fair manner.”
“I still remember not scoring against United. You always want to score in the big games.”
“There's a perception in certain parts of the media that I love 'bling.' I love diamonds. I love to show off. I really don't understand where that comes from.”
“It's always an honor to put on an England shirt, but this one is different - it makes you really feel fast; plus, it's light and fits nicely.”
“England is still a place where a naughty boy who comes from nothing can live his dream.”
“Performing for my dad does drive me on. Especially in big games, massive games.”
“Before I went to Liverpool, I was a striker and then sometimes a No. 8 or No. 10, and my thing was shooting, finishing, and long-distance shots.”
“Something good happens or something bad, I think, 'What can I do better? What didn't I do this year?'”
“I don't want to be perceived as the money-grabbing 20-year-old; I just want to be perceived as the kid who loves to play football.”
“Make the boys go off to the World Cup with a clear head, that everyone is behind them and everyone is with them, and trust me: I think you would definitely see a better England.”
“I've learned how to deal with pressure more. I'm still trying to achieve more in my game and add more to it. I feel like I'm still learning every day, and I want to keep on improving.”
“I'm sorry to say it, but we have to be more arrogant and more streetwise because we are coming up against some great teams who have that streetwise mentality. They bring their play into it: you do what you have to do to win a game. Simple as that. Be streetwise and clever.”
“If I lose the ball, I want to get on it as quickly as possible and make up for it, whereas before, I would hide away and maybe only look for the ball 10 minutes later. I don't want to give the defenders any break.”