Feyenoord’s Marquee Signing Sterling Still Searching for Form

Raheem Sterling’s Feyenoord move yet to catch fire

Feyenoord hold a 3-point lead over NEC Nijmegen in the race for second place and Champions League qualification.

Robin van Persie said Sterling is improving but no decision has been made on his future beyond this season...

Raheem Sterling arrived at Feyenoord as a marquee signing to help the club challenge at the top of the Eredivisie, but with three matches left, the 31-year-old is still yet to make his mark.

Feyenoord are pushing for second place and a spot in next season’s Champions League, with a trip to 12th-placed Fortuna Sittard on Sunday. Whether Sterling features remains uncertain.

The former England forward signed a short-term deal in February and has started four league games with three appearances off the bench, but hasn’t scored. He looked frustrated when left out against NEC Nijmegen last month, and played the final 15 minutes in last weekend’s win over Groningen.

Feyenoord are out of the title race, trailing champions PSV by 19 points, but the fight for second is still alive. They hold a narrow three-point lead over third-placed NEC Nijmegen with three games left.

Coach Robin van Persie described Sterling’s arrival as “one of the biggest transfers in the club’s history,” though the forward hasn’t matched expectations. Van Persie is still backing him despite criticism from Dutch media and frustration among some fans.

Van Persie said after last week’s press conference that he had a good talk with Sterling and believed the winger was improving his fitness. A decision on whether Sterling, who has played for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City, stays beyond this season will come later.

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Sterling’s switch to Feyenoord came as a surprise, but it was viewed as a real attempt to restart his career after falling out of favor at Chelsea.

“As a free agent, I've had, for the first time in a long ‌time, the opportunity to control the next step in my career. I wanted to take my time to speak with clubs and ‌their head coaches to better understand the role they envisioned for me and ensure that I can add real value in this next chapter,” he said on arrival in the Netherlands.

He hadn’t played in nine months before debuting for Feyenoord, where he was initially greeted with a rapturous reception from fans, but has since been booed.