'Sterling's £49 million price tag is the worst thing to happen to him'

Raheem Sterling’s £49 million price tag was the worst thing to happen to him, according to the man who spotted the winger.

The 21-year-old was slammed for his performances during England’s failed Euro 2016 campaign, and was even given a #TheHatedOne hashtag by critics on Twitter.

But John Creith, who is one of the former QPR youth coaches credited with with spotting Sterling as a schoolboy, insists the Manchester City midfielder still has plenty of time to reach his peak.

“People forget that Raheem is still only 20, they need to lay off him,” Creith told Get West London.

“He would have unlocked the Slovakian defence the other day. He is still learning both mentally and tactically, we need to let him develop.

“He will still be a big part of the England set up and could be a massive player for us in a few years time. That price tag was the worst thing to happen to him though.

“The sad thing is, in this country, we kill a player before they have even started. He's got the ability, and there's still a good five to six years before he reaches his peak.”