EPL: Raheem Sterling says diet change affected his Chelsea debut

Raheem Sterling has revealed that a change in diet and subsequent weight gain was behind his troubled debut campaign at Chelsea in which he struggled with repeated injuries.

The forward made 38 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea after joining from Manchester City in a £47.5 million ($61.1m) move last July. He suffered persistent hamstring problems and missed England’s final two squads of the season.

Sterling sat out June’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia following discussions with England boss Gareth Southgate, who later said that the winger was “not happy physically with his condition” and “doesn’t think he’s operating at the level he needs.”

The 28-year-old struggled to consistently produce his best form at Stamford Bridge but is aiming to put a mixed campaign behind him as part of Chelsea’s 29-man squad on tour in the United States.

Sterling originally attempted to correct the muscle niggles and increase energy levels during last season by adjusting his diet, but after feeling too heavy he hired a nutritionist to help.

Speaking ahead of the Blues’ pre-season clash against Brighton in Philadelphia today, July 22, Sterling said he now feels better than ever after trimming down.

He said;

“Pre-season is always a way to get the body right and I am in a great place. Last season I changed a bit of my diet and went to do something a little bit different that I had not done before, and I had a little more kilograms on me that I have not had before.

“I think probably carrying a little bit of extra weight, I had a few hamstring problems and that was it. Towards the end of the season the hamstring was playing up again.

“Me and [Southgate] made a decision together that the best thing for me to do was to get the hamstring right.”

When asked specifically about the diet change, Sterling added: “Just eating a little bit less.”