Raheem Sterling ‘treated so badly’ by Chelsea as calls for PFA to intervene emerge

Raheem Sterling’s ‘bomb squad’ treatment may have serious consequences on the exiled Chelsea star’s mental health. That is the belief of talkSPORT host Gabby Agbonlahor, who urged the PFA to intervene over the England international’s situation. Sterling has no future at Chelsea, with the winger part of their bomb squadAFP Sterling shared an insight into what it looks like to be exiled by the BluesInstagram On Monday night, Sterling laid bare the grim reality of being one of Chelsea’s bomb squad as he trained alone at 8pm. A day later, Enzo Maresca’s first-team squad were pictured touching down in Germany ahead of the opening match of the league phase of the Champions League against Bayern Munich. Sterling failed to secure a summer move away from Stamford Bridge after a deadline-day move to Fulham failed to come to fruition. The 30-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Arsenal, also had interest from Crystal Palace and West Ham but ultimately stayed put. Sterling’s preference was believed to be to join another London side, but he now faces a further four months without football before the window reopens. Chelsea boss Maresca has already shot down any possibility of the former England international coming back into the fold. It means that in the interim, Sterling, who is under contract until 2027, is forced to train on Cobham’s empty training pitches at night. During an in-depth discussion on talkSPORT Breakfast, Alan Brazil admitted that the winger’s current situation was not right. His co-host, Agbonlahor, went further to stress that Chelsea’s treatment of Sterling is why fans should be more sympathetic to the likes of Alexander Isak and Yoane Wissa going on strike to secure transfers, considering how clubs act when the shoe is on the other foot. “I’ve seen it at Aston Villa with players,” Agbonlahor told talkSPORT, “I remember under Paul Lambert, there was a bomb squad that had to go and train together on their own. Maresca has publicly said there is no way back for Sterling at Chelsea “Players felt like, ‘Oh, I can’t speak to the bomb squad group. Don’t want to get caught speaking to them.’ It makes you feel so low. “For Raheem Sterling, yes, last season wasn’t at his best. 17 Premier League games for Arsenal, only four starts, no goals, two assists. But he’s only 30, Raheem Sterling now. “82 England caps, 20 goals, four Premier League titles, five League Cups, one FA Cup. And he’s training on his own, being treated so badly by the manager. “This is the problem that I have with some fans, because they moan about players like Isak, like Wissa, wanting to leave. But when a club doesn’t want you, they will treat you like absolute garbage. “They will make you train at this time. They will make you sit in the changing room on your own, away from your teammates. “What about Raheem Sterling’s mental health? What about [Axel] Disasi’s mental health?” Disasi shared an image of a bomb squad dressing room with Lesley Ugochukwu, Armando Broja and Alfie Gilchrist – who have all since leftInstagram ‘Money’s not everything’ Sterling joined Chelsea from Manchester City in July 2022 for a fee of £47.5million and has gone on to make 81 appearances. He was the first statement signing following the takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, but his high wages meant the club made it clear they wanted to offload him this summer. His salary, reported to be over £300,000 per week, has become another sticking point in his relationship with fans. “Because he earns £325,000-a-week it’s fine?,” Agbonlahor argued. “Money’s not everything – Sterling earning £300,000 a week has got nothing to do with his mental health, or being on his own training. “At that sort of time, you’ve been taken away from your teammates, you’re close with. You’re used to coming in at 9am, training at 10am with your teammates. I just don’t like it. “I don’t like anything about it. What harm is Raheem Sterling going to cause training with that Chelsea team? “Why can’t he be on the opposite side when you’re doing shape? Do you know what I mean? It just doesn’t sit right with me.” Disasi and Sterling both went out on loan last season and now form a two-man bomb squad Raheem Sterling’s mental health Brazil also suggested another possibility would be that Sterling could be kept away from the dressing room if he were a bad apple. However, Agbonlahor rightly pointed out that he is not that sort of player, having mentored many young players during his career. Chelsea even made reference to Sterling’s leadership skills during a feature on their website last year, entitled ‘A positive influence’. Agbonlahor stressed: “He’s not that sort of lad [to disrupt the dressing room] – it makes me dislike managers that do that to players. “Maresca, you’re better than that. Think about players’ mental health as well. “Money isn’t everything. Raheem Sterlin

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Raheem Sterling ‘treated so badly’ by Chelsea as calls for PFA to intervene emerge

Raheem Sterling’s ‘bomb squad’ treatment may have serious consequences on the exiled Chelsea star’s mental health.

That is the belief of talkSPORT host Gabby Agbonlahor, who urged the PFA to intervene over the England international’s situation.

Sterling has no future at Chelsea, with the winger part of their bomb squad

Sterling shared an insight into what it looks like to be exiled by the Blues

On Monday night, Sterling laid bare the grim reality of being one of Chelsea’s bomb squad as he trained alone at 8pm.

A day later, Enzo Maresca’s first-team squad were pictured touching down in Germany ahead of the opening match of the league phase of the Champions League against Bayern Munich.

Sterling failed to secure a summer move away from Stamford Bridge after a deadline-day move to Fulham failed to come to fruition.

The 30-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Arsenal, also had interest from Crystal Palace and West Ham but ultimately stayed put.

Sterling’s preference was believed to be to join another London side, but he now faces a further four months without football before the window reopens.

Chelsea boss Maresca has already shot down any possibility of the former England international coming back into the fold.

It means that in the interim, Sterling, who is under contract until 2027, is forced to train on Cobham’s empty training pitches at night.

During an in-depth discussion on talkSPORT Breakfast, Alan Brazil admitted that the winger’s current situation was not right.

His co-host, Agbonlahor, went further to stress that Chelsea’s treatment of Sterling is why fans should be more sympathetic to the likes of Alexander Isak and Yoane Wissa going on strike to secure transfers, considering how clubs act when the shoe is on the other foot.

“I’ve seen it at Aston Villa with players,” Agbonlahor told talkSPORT, “I remember under Paul Lambert, there was a bomb squad that had to go and train together on their own.

Maresca has publicly said there is no way back for Sterling at Chelsea

“Players felt like, ‘Oh, I can’t speak to the bomb squad group. Don’t want to get caught speaking to them.’ It makes you feel so low.

“For Raheem Sterling, yes, last season wasn’t at his best. 17 Premier League games for Arsenal, only four starts, no goals, two assists. But he’s only 30, Raheem Sterling now.

“82 England caps, 20 goals, four Premier League titles, five League Cups, one FA Cup. And he’s training on his own, being treated so badly by the manager.

“This is the problem that I have with some fans, because they moan about players like Isak, like Wissa, wanting to leave. But when a club doesn’t want you, they will treat you like absolute garbage.

“They will make you train at this time. They will make you sit in the changing room on your own, away from your teammates.

“What about Raheem Sterling’s mental health? What about [Axel] Disasi’s mental health?”

Disasi shared an image of a bomb squad dressing room with Lesley Ugochukwu, Armando Broja and Alfie Gilchrist – who have all since left

‘Money’s not everything’

Sterling joined Chelsea from Manchester City in July 2022 for a fee of £47.5million and has gone on to make 81 appearances.

He was the first statement signing following the takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, but his high wages meant the club made it clear they wanted to offload him this summer.

His salary, reported to be over £300,000 per week, has become another sticking point in his relationship with fans.

“Because he earns £325,000-a-week it’s fine?,” Agbonlahor argued.

“Money’s not everything – Sterling earning £300,000 a week has got nothing to do with his mental health, or being on his own training.

“At that sort of time, you’ve been taken away from your teammates, you’re close with. You’re used to coming in at 9am, training at 10am with your teammates. I just don’t like it.

“I don’t like anything about it. What harm is Raheem Sterling going to cause training with that Chelsea team?

“Why can’t he be on the opposite side when you’re doing shape? Do you know what I mean? It just doesn’t sit right with me.”

Disasi and Sterling both went out on loan last season and now form a two-man bomb squad

Raheem Sterling’s mental health

Brazil also suggested another possibility would be that Sterling could be kept away from the dressing room if he were a bad apple.

However, Agbonlahor rightly pointed out that he is not that sort of player, having mentored many young players during his career.

Chelsea even made reference to Sterling’s leadership skills during a feature on their website last year, entitled ‘A positive influence’.

Agbonlahor stressed: “He’s not that sort of lad [to disrupt the dressing room] – it makes me dislike managers that do that to players.

“Maresca, you’re better than that. Think about players’ mental health as well.

“Money isn’t everything. Raheem Sterling, earning £350,000 a week, has nothing to do with him, and where he’s headed at the moment.

“People will throw that out there. I can imagine now people listening, ‘Oh, you know, he’s only on £300,000 a week’.

Sterling was unable to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge

Cole Palmer claimed Sterling is ‘massively underrated’

PFA urged to intervene over Chelsea bomb squad

In August 2024, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) revealed it was pushing for clubs to stop using bomb squads.

Three years ago, FIFA updated their regulations to state in Article 14 (2) that forcing a player to train on their own may result in a club engaging in ‘abusive conduct’.

Agbonlahor has now joined the growing calls urging the PFA, the players’ union in England, to step in and help stars like Sterling.

“It’s just not right,” he continued. “And I know it’s happened to a lot of players at a lot of football clubs.

Sterling failed to reignite his career on loan at Arsenal last season

“That’s why there’s no loyalty in football. Because when a player wants to leave and wants to kick up a fuss to get out of a football club, fans are like, ‘How shocking that is. How dare you? You’re contracted.’

“When a club doesn’t want you, Alan, they will do everything to drive you out of that football club. They want you down in the dumps, so you just leave.

“I’m just glad I played when I played because it’s just ridiculous.

“Surely the PFA can do something about it. They’ve got to come into it. I’m sure you have to have more than five or six players. I have to check this out. You could just go home if you wanted to.

Kompany and Sterling won two Premier League titles together at Man City

“There’s got to be a certain amount of players that you’re training with. I think that’s a rule that clubs have to have.

“So maybe they’re using some of the younger lads, the Under-21s, Under-18s, that they might be training with.

“But also, Alan, sometimes when it happened at Villa, I saw the older players go and kick the young players. Because you’ve lost your head at being in the bomb squad.

“You’ve got to go and train with these Under-18s who are at it, they’re hungry to succeed. And they’re running past you, and you’re just kicking them. I saw that all the time.”