R. van Persie: "How can you criticize R. Sterling for half an hour?"

2026-03-01 14:17 © AFP

The Rotterdam "Feyenoord" club defeated the "Telstar" team 2:1 last week.

Former long-term "Premier" league player Raheem Sterling made his debut for the Rotterdam team, playing for 30 minutes.

The full-back received criticism, and head coach Robin van Persie defended him:

"I think it's completely illogical. If you understand the context from where R. Sterling comes, what he has achieved, and the fact that he hasn't trained with any team for months...

I understand that there are expectations of him as of a completely elite player. This full-back's career is impressive."

We are talking about a player who has won almost everything. But to write him off like that after just half an hour, the first in six months...

Then you completely misunderstand everything, and such an opinion is inappropriate."

31-year-old Raheem Sterling played for "Liverpool" from 2012 to 2015, for "Manchester City" from 2015 to 2022, and was part of London "Chelsea" from 2022 to 2026.

In the 2024-2025 season, R. Sterling was loaned to the "Arsenal" team, where he scored one goal in 28 matches.