Glen Johnson on Raheem Sterling’s future: “I don't believe he needs to think about moving”

“No, I don't believe he needs to think about moving at the minute. Last season we were speaking about him as one of the best players in the world and then he went off and had a fantastic Euros, so after a couple of quiet months you can’t just go and expect him to leave. 

“The thing with Raheem is that he’s a confidence player and when he’s not starting games and things aren’t going his way then his performances suffer. He’s one of these players who builds off momentum and if he’s scoring then he will continue to keep scoring. That’s why I believe he’s not a great substitute to bring on because when he starts a game, then you see him perform at his best. Being picked to start by the manager gives him confidence and he tends to go a bit quiet when he doesn’t have an arm around him.”

“I like him. I’m a big fan. The style of football that Leeds play suits him, he has the shackles off and he’s technically great. If he did sign for Liverpool then I wouldn’t expect him to demand a place in their starting eleven, but he would certainly be one of those players on the fringe and would definitely strengthen the squad. He’s the sort of player that would suit Liverpool’s style of play too, so if the money was right then I’m sure he would be high on their list of targets.”

“I’m a fan. I didn’t know too much about him before the Euros but he’s a quick winger, hard-working and looks like he’s got the attributes to suit the Premier League. 

“Whether Chelsea is the right fit, I’m not sure. I don’t think they need him. If they could get him, they would, but I don’t think they need to. But I believe he’s the sort of player that, when he needs to, would perform in a way that would suit the Premier League.”

“He’s scoring goals, enjoying his football again and he’s got a lot to offer. And naturally all the big teams are going to want strikers who are scoring goals. 

“Chelsea have shown in the past that they’re not embarrassed to sign somebody back for a lot more money than they sold them for. If he continues to score goals then I think yeah they would be interested. Strikers are hard to come by, aren’t they? 

“As a young Englishman, we’re all brought up to want to play in the Premier League, so I’m sure he’ll want to come back one day to settle some scores.”

“I can also see him being part of the England set-up at Qatar 2022. He’s got age on his side. He’s a big physical lad, and for me he’s decent in front of goal as well. If he continues to score goals then he’s going to be hard to look past isn’t he?”

“From West Ham’s point of view, they’re entitled to try and achieve as much as they can as they’ve seen other players leave for similar reasons. I think they’re within their rights to try and get the market value for him. 

“Everyone knows I love West Ham. If he wants to go and win Premier Leagues and potentially Champions Leagues and things like that then of course that’s not going to happen at West Ham, so I think there'll be a point when the player and the club are happy. It’s all tactics anyway. But if they got offered £65m or £70m, I’m sure they’ll be interested. 

“They’ll obviously have a conversation, but he’s West Ham through and through. He’s not going to walk out the door on bad terms, so hopefully the player can get what he wants, and the club can get what they want.”

“I think it’s going to be one of our three big boys, either Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester City. 

“In the second half of the Liverpool and Manchester City match at Anfield, they looked like two of the best teams around for me at the moment. We all know what this league’s like. If they all get it right on the day then they’re hard to stop. 

“With the Champions League, you don’t have to be the best team in the tournament. You’ve just got to get through each round.

“If you’ve got a gun to my head, I’d probably back Manchester City.”