BBC pundit claims Mauricio Pochettino is getting the best from £50m Chelsea player

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Garth Crooks thinks Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling has woken up and is now playing some great football under Mauricio Pochettino.

Raheem Sterling, who joined Chelsea for £50million (Daily Mail) last summer, had a mixed first season at the club where he struggled to get anywhere near his peak form.

However, the 28-year-old attacker is looking far livelier and threatening in the first three games of this Premier League season.

The biggest change over the summer has been in the manager’s dugout, where Mauricio Pochettino has stepped into the role as the permanent head coach. It seems from the outside looking in like the Argentine boss is doing very well in the early few months in charge, too.

BBC pundit Crooks believes Pochettino is responsible for the U-turn in Sterling’s form in recent weeks.

“It would appear Chelsea, or should I say Mauricio Pochettino, has got Sterling playing again. He was the best player on the park at West Ham last week and, with two goals and an assist, he singlehandedly ripped Luton Town apart,” Crooks wrote for BBC Sport.

“I can’t help feeling Sterling, who was the best player in the country at one stage under Pep Guardiola, eventually buckled under the demands made of him by the Manchester City coach. Leaving the Etihad must have been a wrench but to return to his native London to rehabilitate himself wasn’t a bad idea. Now he looks like a player again and Chelsea must use him wisely.

“Sterling is no longer a youngster but a senior pro and still has a lot to offer.”

Pochettino claimed after Chelsea’s win over Luton that Sterling deserves full credit for his recent performances, as quoted by the club’s official website.

It’s now up to the rapid wide player to keep this momentum up and have a starring season.

Our guess is he’ll return to Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the international break next month, which should be another great avenue to help him restore his confidence.

Sterling genuinely was regarded as one of the top stars in the Premier League division a few years ago, so there’s no reason he can’t get back to that in Chelsea colours.