Raheem Sterling has admitted that joining Chelsea was motivated by the challenge of returning the club to the top of the Premier League.
When he chose to join Chelsea in a £47.5 million deal earlier this summer, the England international had spent seven trophy-laden seasons with Manchester City, winning four Premier League titles as part of one of the strongest club sides in English football history.
Chelsea, now owned by Todd Boehly, is attempting to unseat Manchester City as champions, and Sterling found the challenge too appealing to pass up.
“Seeing in the last two years it’s four or five finals that you guys have been in, the progress, you won the Champions League and are now looking to challenge for the Premier League, it’s something that intrigued me when I was having a conversation with the club,” he told Chelsea TV.
“Seeing the direction that you guys are going in, it’s something I really bought into and I just felt it is a place where I can really come into my own. I just think it’s the perfect platform for me.
“The club’s already got that winning mentality but to keep doing it every single year and keep winning more and more trophies and building on the previous season, I think that’s what top managers like Thomas [Tuchel] do. It’s not one year win and next year rest, it’s again and again and again and that’s what excites me to be here.”
Sterling also discussed his conversations with manager Thomas Tuchel and his relationships with some of the squad’s players.
“You can see how genuine [Tuchel] was and how much he wanted me here, and that was the nail on it for me. I was certain that this is a place I want to be.
“I know a few of the boys from the national team. Mase [Mason Mount], Chilly [Ben Chilwell], to name a few, and I’ve got a good connection with Callum [Hudson-Odoi] already. I feel at home already and I’m just keep putting the work in and can’t wait to gel even more with them.”
“It’s been a great first week, I am really settling in, I feel at home now. I say to the fans, thank you for your warm welcome. It’s an exciting time for me. I know how much more I have to offer. I still feel within myself that there’s another step that I’ve been fighting to get on to and I think this is the perfect platform for me to do that.
“Hopefully I can do that in person at the Bridge for many years to come and just keep bagging them goals in, simple as that!”
