Raheem Sterling has agreed a deal with Eredivisie club Feyenoord until the end of the 2025-26 season.
Sterling left Chelsea by mutual consent last month, having not made a single appearance for the Blues this season.
The former Manchester City and Liverpool forward spent the 2024-25 season on loan at Arsenal, having been told he was surplus to requirements at Chelsea by then head coach Enzo Maresca.
He made 28 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions, but scored just one goal while registering five assists.
Now the 31-year-old will attempt to revitalise his career at Feyenoord, who are coached by former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie.
Feyenoord are 17 points behind runaway leaders PSV Eindhoven at the top of the Eredivisie.
The Rotterdam club were knocked out of the Europa League after finishing 29th in the league phase. In addition, they also suffered a second-round loss to Heerenveen in the KNVB Cup.
While there are no remaining chances for Feyenoord to win silverware this season, a move to De Kuip could turn out to be ideal for Sterling at this stage in his career.
Why Feyenoord could be a perfect fit for Raheem Sterling
Feyenoord offer Sterling the chance to play for one of the most famous names in Dutch football, in a league that should suit his style of play.
Regular game time is the priority for Sterling after he was cast out as a member of Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad’. He should get it at Feyenoord and may benefit from being away from the Premier League spotlight.
Playing for a team that is consistently near the top of the Eredivisie, Sterling should have ample opportunity to recover match fitness and rediscover some kind of form.
And, though they are no longer in Europe this season, the major carrot for Sterling if he remains with the club on a long-term basis is the prospect of Champions League football.
Should Feyenoord finish in the top two, they will go straight into the league phase of next season’s Champions League.
They are a point ahead of surprise package NEC Nijmegen and three points ahead of arch rivals Ajax in fourth, with 12 games still to play.
Playing for a coach in Van Persie who boasts a deep understanding of English football and will be very familiar with Sterling, it could be a match made in heaven.
Feyenoord’s game with Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday may come too soon for Sterling, with their subsequent league fixture against Telstar on February 22 a more likely date for his debut.
Raheem Sterling ready to embrace Feyenoord challenge
Though Sterling is only under contract until the end of the campaign, he is confident he can make a significant impact for Feyenoord in a short space of time.
He told Feyenoord’s official website: “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.
“Having spoken in great detail with CEO Dennis te Kloese and Robin, I’m confident that Feyenoord is a place I can be happy and establish myself as a valued member of the team.
“Playing abroad is a whole new challenge for me – and one I’m ready to embrace. Honestly, I’m just excited to get started. To Feyenoord and particularly Robin and Dennis, thank you for your patience and professionalism as I navigated this process.”
Van Persie added: “Naturally it’s a fantastic feat that we’ve managed to convince a player of Raheem’s calibre to sign with us.
“His football resume speaks for itself: he’s a player whose qualities can change the outcome of a game without a doubt, and I am convinced he will turn out to be a valuable addition to the team as we work towards achieving our goals in the second half of this season.”
Raheem Sterling: Career so far
All of the trophies won by Sterling came with Manchester City, where he collected four Premier League titles, five EFL Cups and one FA Cup.
He made 339 appearances for City, scoring 131 goals following a controversial move from Liverpool in 2015.
Sterling had previously scored 23 goals in 129 games for Liverpool. In 81 appearances with Chelsea, Sterling scored 19 goals, with his lone effort for Arsenal coming in an EFL Cup win over Bolton Wanderers in September 2024.
With his immediate future now secured, Sterling will hope he can end that long wait for a goal sooner rather than later. Capped by England 82 times, Sterling has yet to call time on an international career that has seen him score 20 goals for the Three Lions. However, even if he does excel at De Kuip, it is unlikely to enough to earn him a call-up to Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.
