‘I’m only human’ was his cryptic tweet but why was Raheem Sterling ‘a bit tired’ ahead of the Estonia match?
What do we know? Sterling played the first 45 minutes of England’s San Marino stroll on Thursday.
Roy Hodgson then rested the Liverpool speedster for Sunday’s match because of fatigue.
And when he sent him on for the final 25 minutes, it was a foul on Sterling which led to Wayne Rooney’s free-kick winner.
But the debate kicked off because football fans and pundits wanted to know why. We always want to know why. Why was a teenager tired in only the third month of the season?
Maybe he’s not tired.
Maybe he’s saving himself to peak his performance when it matters. Games against Estonia don’t matter. England were going to win that match in one way or another.
Brendan Rodgers is an astute manager. A little ‘Real Madrid’ whisper in the ear could have been enough for Raheem to feel his legs tighten up.
Liverpool welcome the European champions to Anfield a week tomorrow. It will be the biggest match of Sterling’s career so far.
Or does playing for England not quite have the same appeal it once did? Has it lost its shine? Its chest-out, shoulders back, body-on-the-line shine?
There is a lot of pressure to play for England and there are no hiding places with millions watching back home. A below par performance could have stunted his growing reputation.
Or maybe he actually was tired.
Luis Suarez left a world-class hole in the Liverpool attack and with a misfiring Balotelli, Sterling is the go-to-guy. He is given the ball because he makes things happen. But is too much being asked of him?
Has Sterling been pushing himself too hard in training? Cristiano Ronaldo has shown the best can get better and if Liverpool cannot clamber back into top-four contention, a move to the Bernabeu might be too hard to turn down.
Or perhaps, Raheem Sterling just had a rough week. He has, at least, one child. He’s 19. Maybe Raheem Sterling has had a cold.
Maybe Raheem Sterling is only human.