Raheem Sterling has denied telling manager Ron Hodgson
that he was too tired to play for England in a Euro 2016
qualifier last year.
Hodgson has revealed that the Manchester City
winger told him he was fatigued ahead of the
final training session in the build-up to the game
against Estonia in Tallinn last October.
Eventually, Sterling was left out of the starting
lineup for the Group E encounter, but he came
off the bench in the second-half in time for
Wayne Rooney’s late free-kick which gave
England a 1-0 victory.
Following the match there were accusations that
the then Liverpool forward had said he did not
want to play, but he insists nothing could be
further from the truth.
That was so crazy I don’t think that could
happen again, for anyone,” the 20-year-old, who
has 17 international caps, told the Guardian.
The manager asked me a question and, being
the person I am, I answered honestly. He asked
me how I was feeling and I said I was OK but
‘my legs do feel a bit tired’.
“I never once said: ‘I don’t want to play’ or
anything like that. He just asked me a general
question and I was honest. I didn’t lie and say:
‘Oh yes, I feel 100 per cent,’ but at the same
time I never said I didn’t want to play.
“Obviously, the manager changed his mind
about me playing and probably based it on that
conversation but I was just being honest.”
– Ultimate honour –
Rooney, meanwhile, has made it clear that
winning a trophy with his country would be
better than any individual accolade that comes
his way.
The Manchester United striker broke Bobby
Charlton’s international goalscoring record by
notching his 50th strike for England against
Switzerland last month.
Rooney has expressed his pride at passing
Charlton, but the 29-year-old has stressed that
winning a World Cup or a European
Championships would mean so much more.
I would be lying if I were to say that breaking
records and making history for doing so was not
something that I feel very proud of doing,”
England captain Rooney said on
www.officialwaynerooney.com.
But if I could win a major trophy with England,
like Sir Bobby Charlton and his team mates did,
then that would be the ultimate.”
The former Everton striker, who is also just 14
behind Charlton’s record total of 249 goals for
the Red Devils, is dreaming of being able to look
back on a moment of glory for England when he
retires.
Later on when my career has come to an end
and I’m sitting reminiscing with our grandkids,
it would be wonderful if I still was the player
who has scored the most goals for his country
and with a bit of luck also for my club. A trophy
as well would be incredible,” he added.
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