Raheem Sterling urged to not let career 'go out with a whimper'

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has urged Raheem Sterling to make the most of the opportunity that has presented itself to him amid the club's injury crisis, or risk his career petering out altogether.

Sterling has struggled to command game time since joining the Gunners on loan from Chelsea at the end of the summer transfer window, having become surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge.

The 30-year-old wide forward is a four-time Premier League champion and scored 79 goals across a three-season peak during his time with Manchester City, who cashed in at the right time in 2022.

With Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus ruled out for the rest of the season, Arsenal don't have a striker. Even Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, who might be able to play as a 'false nine', are also sidelined for the time being, potentially handing Sterling a chance to make his mark.

Mikel Arteta favoured Leandro Trossard in the central role against Leicester City over the weekend, with Sterling at least commanding a rare start on the left. But when Arsenal were desperately searching for a goal into the final quarter of the game, Sterling ended up being withdrawn and midfielder Mikel Merino thrown on as a makeshift striker instead.

"The opportunity that has arisen for him, this is the time where he should buckle down and say, 'I have to make this work'," Wright said on Stick to Football.

"Otherwise, he'll go out with a whimper. The last time I saw him come on and do something in a short space of time, was against Manchester United – that’s what you want to see from him, just come on and try to make something happen."

Fellow Stick to Football panellist Gary Neville has raised doubts over whether Sterling is cut out to turn his hand to the vacant 'number nine', questioning whether a player who built his early career on speed and pace has the “football intelligence” to now adapt.

All eyes will be on whether Arteta opts to use Merino in that role from the start against West Ham United on Saturday. Sterling remains an alternative to lead the line, but, if Merino does get the nod and Trossard move left, it could knock Sterling out of the lineup completely.

Pep Guardiola previously considered striker to be an "incredible position" for Sterling after a promising run there for Manchester City in pre-season in 2019. But Arteta was on Guardiola's staff at the time and surely would have run the option already if he considered it to still be valid.

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