Former Reds colleague Carragher has written in his column for The Telegraph: “As a new chapter awaits Raheem Sterling. An unceremonious Chelsea exit should not overshadow the fantastic achievements of his story so far.
“Sterling is blessed and cursed by the memories of him bursting onto the scene as a teenage superstar before peaking in his mid-twenties. He set the bar so high that this moment in his career inevitably feels like an anti-climax.
“Sterling’s successes outweigh any recency bias amid headlines about Chelsea “bomb squads” and the termination of a reported £310,000-a-week salary.
“By any measure, he is one of the best English players of his generation. When discussing his career, the focus should be on the thrill of his initial impact as a prodigy before maturing to fulfil his talent under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. He has won 10 major trophies, 82 England caps, scored 194 goals and was named the 2019 Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year.”
Carragher added: “Had Sterling’s career ended with his Manchester City exit four years ago, he would have already achieved more by the age of 27 than most manage in a lifetime. At that point in his career, he might have imagined the upcoming 2026 World Cup to be his international swansong having collected 100 caps – a milestone which is now beyond him.
“Instead, he looks like another example of a player who, while reaping substantial financial rewards for his talent, is a victim of a recurring football problem where those who shine brightest in their youth must wrestle with the perils of being overplayed, compromising their chance to prolong a career at Champions League and international level.”