Ex-Liverpool star Raheem Sterling slammed by Jamie Redknapp and Micah Richards after statement

Jamie Redknapp and Micah Richards have criticized former Liverpool winer Raheem Sterling after his representatives released a statement just one hour before Chelsea's Premier League season opener.

Former Liverpool and England midfielder Redknapp dismissed it as "absolute rubbish", while former Manchester City and Aston Villa defender Richards argued that the matter should've been dealt with "in house". Sterling was notably absent from the Chelsea squad during their 2-0 loss to City at Stamford Bridge.

Blues manager Enzo Maresca maintained that it was a "technical decision" that led to Sterling not even making the squad. Shortly after the teams were announced, a statement was issued by Sterling's camp, demanding clarity over his future in west London.

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"Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years. He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with," it said.

"He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s fixture in some capacity.

"As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea FC in relation to Raheem’s future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation. Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season positively."

Without Sterling in the squad, Chelsea experienced a bitter defeat against Pep Guardiola's reigning champion, with Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic delivering masterful goals.

After the match, Maresca was questioned about these events in a Sky Sports interview and admitted some players will "have to leave" before the end of the transfer window. Redknapp, Richards, and Daniel Sturridge also dissected the proceedings on Sky Sports, with Redknapp expressing significant unhappiness.

“He must have initiated that,” said Redknapp. “It’s really nice of him to come back two weeks early. He didn’t have the Euros, you don’t need to talk about it, just get on with it, play better.

“He hasn’t been great at Chelsea. When he’s come into games or started matches, he hasn’t been good enough. So if the manager doesn’t play you, you don’t get your representatives to come out and do that. Especially the day of the game. I think that’s absolute rubbish.

“He should do better than that. His representatives should do better than that. I think that’s a really poor statement. There’s 30 other players not in the squad who could put statements out. He hasn’t done well enough. If you think you’ve done well in pre-season, just keep doing better.

“The manager’s opinion is the only one that counts. If he’s not going to pick you, that’s unlucky. You have to turn around, be the best in training, and show you want to play. That’s the only way to get back in the team. Putting statements out on that, I’m not having that one bit."

Richards was left stunned by the recent developments from Sterling's camp, asserting that they "know exactly what they're doing". He said: "We’ve all been left out. We’ve all wanted to put statements out… Raheem and his team know exactly what they’re doing.

“They’re trying to make noise. The thing is with Chelsea already, there’s noise around the club anyway. Everyone talks about the players, the ownership, can we even guess Chelsea’s starting eleven? Putting that statement out before the game is not good enough. I love Raheem as a player, really nice guy. But that doesn’t matter. We’re talking about the facts of today. That is not going to help your team-mates, or your case of getting back in the team.

“We always talk about when managers come out and say things publicly about players, we say ‘oh he shouldn’t do that, it’s not good enough’. And now he's essentially called out his manager and let down his teammates. That's my issue with it. I believe he's better than this, and he knows it.

"Conor Gallagher could've expressed his feelings about being in Madrid for five days. He remained professional. He could've released a statement. The same goes for [Trevoh] Chalobah. Chelsea fans are unhappy with how he's being treated. It's the same for all of them. We adore Raheem. But we must be truthful. Keep it internal."

Sturridge chimed in: "I have a lot of love and respect for Raheem Sterling. "The timing isn’t great. It’s bad timing to be fair. But he will feel good enough to help Chelsea football club. I don’t agree with the message going out on the day of the game. But in my opinion, Raheem Sterling is a good enough player to be in the Chelsea squad."