When Arsenal announced the signing of Raheem Sterling, on loan from Chelsea, on the 31st of August, 2024, the reaction amongst Gunners was a little mixed. The club sought to highlight what the attacker had achieved in his career previously, saying “[he] arrives at the club having won every domestic honour, including four Premier League titles and five Football League Cups. He has made 379 appearances in the top flight, scoring 123 goals and assisting 63 times.” But some fans were more concerned about what he might achieve in the future, his more recent performances, and whether the club really needed him.
The QPR youth product – middle name Shaquille for any trivia fans out there – boasts 82 England caps and 20 goals. Both of those tallies put him relatively high up the all-time lists for his country on those metrics. Indeed, it is notable that much as England seem to have incredible attacking talent, the highest-scoring player after Harry Kane to have featured in a squad recently is Marcus Rashford, with 17. His last goal for England came a year ago though and he has been missing from a number of squads since.
Sterling’s new clubmate, Bukayo Saka is next, with 12, so there is clearly a place in the squad for someone like the Chelsea loanee, who can score goals regularly in support of the skipper. Sterling has stated his desire to get back involved with his country and that hunger, plus his vast experience, and experience of collecting trophies, despite being 29 and still at his peak, made the deal a no-brainer for Mikel Arteta in our opinion.
The Big Six
Time will tell how things work out for Sterling at the Emirates but he has made a steady start and got his first Arsenal goal in the EFL Cup. However, returning to what Sterling can bring to the club, and his experience, we have another interesting one for the trivia fans: Sterling is just the second player to appear for four of the Premier League’s “big six” sides.
Over the years there have been various “big” collectives, but for some time now we have been in the era of the “big six”. Those are Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, and some two-bit London outfit who play in white. Newcastle’s new-found wealth might change that in the years to come, whilst Unai Emery will do his all to elevate Aston Villa, but for now at least, there is a widely agreed upon big six.
It is not uncommon for a player to have represented two of these sides, or even perhaps three. But it is certainly rare to have played for four of them. Before we look at Sterling’s career as a promiscuous “big six” gun for hire, let’s see who the other player to have matched his foursome feat is.
Anelka First to Four
Nicolas Anelka has not only played for four of the biggest clubs in England, but he also boasts not one, not two, but three European heavyweights on his CV too. Oh, and Bolton, West Brom and Mumbai City (among others).
The French flyer was known for not being the easiest person to get along with and never quite fulfilled his vast potential. That may be a harsh assessment for a man with 69 France caps, a European Championship win, a Champions League success and league titles with four clubs in three different countries. But there it is.
Leaving out some of the smaller sides he played for, Anelka spent time with Arsenal, Liverpool (on loan), Man City and Chelsea in the Premier League. He began his career with PSG, left Arsenal for Real Madrid, where he won the Champions League, and also had a very brief loan spell with Juventus towards the end of his career. Tidy.
Sterling’s Big Six Journey
Sterling began his career with QPR but was soon snapped up by Liverpool. Many cubs were interested but his mother felt that a move north was best, away from the gang culture of London. The Reds paid QPR just under half a million pounds, with add-ons taking that to £2m, to sign the attacker in February 2010 when he was just 15.
He impressed and made his full senior debut in March 2012 and would go on to play 129 times for the Merseyside outfit, scoring 23 goals. He made his full England debut later in 2012 and was clearly on the up. His form in the 2014/15 season was particularly impressive, 35 Premier League games bringing seven goals and seven assists. And that attracted the attention of Man City, who would become Sterling’s second major club.
Trophies Galore at the Etihad
Whether Sterling moved to City for money, as many Reds feel, the chance to win major silverware, or, most probably, a combination of the two, matters not. The player said he wanted the chance to win things though and he certainly got more than just a chance.
He moved to the Cityzens in July 2015 for a fee that would reach almost £50m including add-ons. At Liverpool he won the prestigious Golden Boy award but no team honours, but at City he won just about everything. Seven seasons at the Etihad brought 131 goals, four Premier League titles, the FA Cup and five EFL Cups. The wideman also played in the Champions League final, and was named PFA Young Player of the Year in 201819, winning the FWA Footballer of the Year award the same season.
London Calling
New Threads, New Number, New Focus
Buzzing to be a Gunner 🔴 pic.twitter.com/zeJg329H5i
— Raheem Sterling (@sterling7) September 3, 2024
Over time Sterling found his status as a first-team regular reducing and he was being used more from the bench, especially in the biggest games. His England career was starting to suffer and he felt a new challenge and a new club was the best way forward.
In July 2022 he moved to Chelsea, City essentially recouping the fee they had paid to Liverpool. Sterling’s performances with Chelsea were solid, especially amidst the backdrop of the constant player churn and a team very much in transition, dealing with a new manager virtually every six months!
In his first two seasons at the Bridge, he featured 81 times, scoring 19 times. However, despite a strong pre-season, at the start of 2024/25, Blues boss Enzo Maresca made it clear to the player that he was unlikely to play regularly.
To the Emirates
This brings us to big club number four, the biggest and best of the lot. Hopefully Sterling can really get his career back on track under Arteta and win some more silverware to add to his haul!