Jamie Redknapp has backed former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher after he slammed Chelsea star Raheem Sterling for releasing a statement an hour before the Blues’ opening game of the season questioning the star’s future at the club. The ex-Liverpool star was left out of Enzo Maresca’s first matchday squad despite featuring heavily in preseason.
In a statement released to journalists, Sterling’s camp wrote: “Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea for the next three years.
“He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with.
“He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s fixture in some capacity.
“As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea in relation to Raheem’s future at the club so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation. Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season positively.”
After the match, it was made clear that Maresca had told Sterling on Friday that he wasn’t in the Italian’s plans for that weekend, to which Sterling claimed he understood the “technical decision”. However, Carragher was quick to take aim at the winger as he shared his thoughts on X.
He posted: “Massive fan of Raheem as a player and a lad. Not a fan of the Chelsea set up with owners etc… But this statement is ridiculous! As a camp… We look forward to gaining clarity… No need for a statement, especially an hour before kick off! Just play better.”
His words were then echoed by Redknapp who, alongside Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge, couldn’t understand why the statement had been released just an hour before kick-off. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “He must’ve initiated it [the statement]. He must’ve done.
“He said he’s come back to training two weeks early, that’s nice of him, well done. He didn’t have the Euros, if he wants to come back two weeks early, that’s fine but don’t talk about it, just get your head down and play better. He hasn’t been great since he’s been at Chelsea.
“Whether that’s starting games, coming off the bench, when he’s played he hasn’t been good enough. If the manager doesn’t want to play you, work harder and show him and get on with it. You don’t get your representatives to do that on the day of a game, I think that’s absolute rubbish!
“He should be doing better than that, his representatives should be doing better than that and that’s a really poor statement because there’s 30 other players that could be doing that who aren’t in the squad. He hasn’t done well enough, if it’s his opinion that he’s been playing well in preseason then keep playing better! The manager’s opinion is the only one that counts.
“It’s unlucky, but it’s true so you have to turn around, get back into training tomorrow morning, be the best trainer and show you want to play. That’s the only way you’ll get back into the team and putting statements out like that, I’m not having that one bit!”
