Pundit Garth Crooks has claimed that England manager Gareth Southgate may have done Raheem Sterling a huge favour.
He told BBC Sport that not picking him for his country has allowed him to focus more on his club form, where he is currently excelling.
Saturday was another example of Sterling’s improvement so far this season, with him playing a part in all four goals in an emphatic win.
Despite his form, the 28-year-old has not been selected for the England squad that will represent their nation over the next week.
Crooks has claimed that his omission is now starting to reflect badly on Southgate, who is already under pressure from the outside.
He said: “He only had a walk-on part against Fulham, but he was certainly the star of the show against Burnley.
Crooks praises Sterling
“The way Raheem Sterling is playing at the moment I’m beginning to think that leaving him out of the recent England squads, and not having to mentally navigate international training, travel, selection and performance, has done him a monumental favour.
“All he has to do now is concern himself with Chelsea. Sterling is playing with a freedom and confidence that made him the best player in the country two seasons ago.
“In the meantime Gareth Southgate’s continued omission of Sterling is starting to reflect negatively more on the England manager than it is on the player. Two league wins in a row for the first time since March tells its own story.
“Chelsea haven’t just found an element of consistency in their game; they are starting to look like a team where a top-four finish no longer looks completely out of the question.”
Sterling will now remain with Mauricio Pochettino and a lot of other Chelsea stars as they prepare for the return of the Premier League and the tricky test of Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
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