Raheem Sterling

Raheem joined City in July 2015 from Liverpool for a Club record fee, reportedly becoming the most expensive English player of all time in the process. Inspired to become a footballer because of the family home's proximity to Wembley Stadium, the attacking midfielder began his career at Queens Park Rangers. Born in Jamaica, he had moved to London at the age of seven and eventually spent seven years at Loftus Road. During his time with the Hoops, he made his international debut at under-16 level with England. In 2010, he made the move to Merseyside, where he made a name for himself as one of the country's rising stars, making his debut for the Reds as a substitute against Wigan in March 2012 at the age of 17. A string of impressive displays earned him the Golden Boy award in 2014, as dubbed by a panel of sports journalists, naming him as the best player under the age of 21 playing in Europe. While at Anfield, Sterling also became the youngest Liverpool player to ever receive an international cap, making his debut for England against Ukraine in September 2012. His first senior start for Liverpool came against City that August, and he impressed enough to retain his place ahead of more experienced players. A key member of the side that pushed the Blues to the wire in the 2013/14 title race, Sterling scored against Manuel Pellegrini's outfit in what had seemed a significant 3-2 win. He made 52 starts in what would be his final season at Liverpool, scoring 11 goals, but opted for a fresh challenge when City showed interest in bringing him to the Etihad. Having joined the Blues in the summer of 2015, Raheem made his debut in the 3-0 away win at West Brom, scoring his first goal against Watford three games later. He enjoyed a blistering first half of the 2015/16 campaign, scoring nine goals in his first 23 starts for the Blues, including a hat-trick against Bournemouth and two goals in two minutes against Borussia Monchengladbach on his 21st birthday. He scored twice more in the months that remained, totting up an impressive 11 goals from 44 appearances, and made a stunning start to the 2016/17 season, winning the EA Sports Player of the Month and Etihad Player of the Month for September. His third season saw him score his best-ever haul of goals - 23 - and play a vital role in City's title success, also winning him a nomination for PFA Young Player of the Year and the privilege of representing England at the 2018 World Cup.