Vinnie Jones has slammed Manchester City star Raheem Sterling, indicating that his finishing is a major concern for England.
Sterling, 23, has been an integral player for both Pep Guardiola and Gareth Southgate over the last 12 months, featuring heavily in both the Premier League and the World Cup.
However, Jones believes that City first teamer Sterling himself would not be playing for the Premier League champions if he was not as quick as he is, due to his apparent lack in finishing ability.
“He is getting in all the right positions, but sometimes you look at Sterling and you think, if he didn’t have that pace he’d be playing for Exeter or someone,” Jones said on Alan Brazil’s sports breakfast, as quoted by the talkSPORT website.
“It’s a bit of a worry. For me, Vardy would have scored. He would have knocked that one in over the top, he’s got a great touch.”
OPINION
It is hard to agree with Jones on this one, as Sterling has certainly been one of City and England’s brightest stars this season. The former Liverpool ace netted an impressive 23 goals this season for Guardiola, 18 of which coming in the Premier League. The Three Lions flyer also tallied an additional 17 assists throughout all competitions for City, demonstrating his ability to play at the top level. There has been a lot of criticism, as is always the case, when Sterling plays for England however, as he has missed a couple of golden chances for Southgate’s men, but his contributions to other areas of the pitch constantly go unseen. It is Sterling’s pace that Jones speaks of that opens up areas of the pitch for other England players to work, and his lightning-quick acceleration and sprint speed terrify defenders throughout the entire game, as he never seems to tire. Granted, Sterling probably should have scored against Sweden, but England comfortably won the game 2-0 anyway. All it takes is one moment of genius and Sterling can change the game, as evidenced by his mesmerising season at the Etihad this year, so for Jones to claim that the 23-year-old would be playing in League two next season if he lost his pace is really quite bizarre.