Raheem Sterling: Criticism 'Totally Out of Order' - Van Persie
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| Van Persie defends Sterling after criticism |
Feyenoord manager Robin van Persie defends Raheem Sterling after harsh criticism of his debut performance.
“I understand that there are expectations of an absolute top player. His career is quite remarkable...”
Feyenoord boss Robin van Persie slammed critics of Raheem Sterling, calling their comments “totally out of order.” Sterling had a underwiring debut for Feyenoord against Telstar, drawing harsh criticism from fans and pundits.
Van Persie defended the English winger, saying he's not bothered by the negative comments. “Raheem's a top player, he's shown that over the years,” Van Persie said ahead of Feyenoord's match at FC Twente.
"I thought it was totally out of order," Van Persie said. "I found some of those responses delightfully Dutch: stating bluntly what was wrong.”
Sterling played 30 minutes in his first professional game in 254 days and wasn't up to full speed yet. “If you have any sense of context, where Raheem comes from, what he has achieved in the past and that he hasn't done any team training for months...”
“I understand that there are expectations of an absolute top player. His career is quite remarkable. We are talking about an absolute top player who has won almost everything there is to win. But to write him off like that after half an hour. His first half hour after six months. Then you really don't understand anything at all,” Van Persie continued.
Robin van Persie is taking a cautious approach with Raheem Sterling, who's been out of action since May 25, 2025. The Feyenoord manager believes Sterling needs time to regain his form and is shielding him from harsh criticism after his debut.
Van Persie thinks it's unfair to judge Sterling's performance after just 30 minutes on the pitch, especially considering he hasn't had any team training in months. He's urging fans and critics to be patient and give Sterling space to work his way back to top form.
Dit was het debuut van Raheem Sterling bij Feyenoord🎥 pic.twitter.com/PW991FaOkq
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) February 23, 2026
“You can always judge him. When you're five or six matches down the line, it's no longer inappropriate. Six to eight weeks down the line. If you then feel that he's not delivering and you have a well-founded opinion about that, then I say: you have a point. But to express strong opinions based on his first half hour, I think that's inappropriate.”
🚨 Jack Grealish has come to Raheem Sterling’s defense after Footballpark made a s!lly comment about Sterling’s Feyenoord debut on Instagram. ❤️
— Arsenal Radar (@ArsenalRadar) February 24, 2026
Some people will do anything for followers without considering the impact on others. pic.twitter.com/nqWflhj3g7
Sterling Gets Support from Ex-Teammates
Raheem Sterling's got backing from former teammates Robin van Persie and Jack Grealish after his underwiring Feyenoord debut. Grealish tweeted: “The guy hasn't played or trained for so long,” in response to criticism of Sterling's performance.
“People like you guys are what's wrong with the world. Have some respect.”
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