Pep Guardiola urges Raheem Sterling to do his talking on the pitch after saying he's open to leaving Man City
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Published 15/10/2021 at 14:37 GMT
"Raheem is our player and hopefully will be an important player for us. He wants more game time - like Riyad [Mahrez] when he doesn’t play, they complain, when Joao [Cancelo] doesn’t play, [he] complains. Some players, they complain when they want to play all the time. But I cannot assure how many minutes every player is going to play."
'I'd love to play abroad' - Sterling opens up about future
Pep Guardiola has called on his players to do their talking on the pitch after Raheem Sterling said he would be open to a move abroad.
England star Sterling has seen his playing time limited at Manchester City on the back of some indifferent form in the past 15 months.
Sterling has made only two starts in the Premier League so far this term, and talks over a new deal have ground to a halt.
The 26-year-old raised the prospect of a move away from Manchester, comments which came as a surprise to City boss Guardiola.
"I didn’t know [about] it, and I think the club didn’t either," Guardiola said. "Raheem is our player and hopefully will be an important player for us.
"He wants more game time - like Riyad [Mahrez] when he doesn’t play, they complain, when Joao [Cancelo] doesn’t play, [he] complains. Some players, they complain when they want to play all the time
But I cannot assure how many minutes every player is going to play. Always they have to speak on the grass, on the pitch. That is the best moment.
“Not just Raheem - all of them. They know they are going to play minutes. I’m not a guy who only plays 11 players and that’s all. All of them are involved.”
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Raheem Sterling - Manchester City
Image credit: Getty Images
While Guardiola has suggested Sterling can be a key figure for City again, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss would not stand in the way of an unhappy player seeking a move away.
"What I want from Raheem and everyone is to be happy - they have to be satisfied to be here, they have to be delighted to be in this club,” Guardiola said.
"If this is not the case, they are free to take the decision that is best for them - for the players, and their families. This is the most important thing.
"It’s not just Raheem but all of them want to play every game, 90 minutes but I cannot give them that. I cannot assure them. They have to prove every training session on the pitch and try to be happy there."
Sterling and City are back in action after the international break against Burnley on Saturday.
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