Tony Cascarino also stated that he would rather have Raheem Sterling in his team than somebody like Neymar.
England's midfielder Raheem Sterling (L) vies with Bulgaria's defender Anton Nedyalkov during the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying first round Group A football match between England and Bulgaria at Wembley Stadium in London on September 7, 2019. (Photo by Ian KINGTON / AFP)
With the 2019 Ballon d’Or award night just around the corner, Virgil van Dijk’s name as emerged as one of the top choices to win the award this year. Amidst all the buzz around Ballon d’Or 2019, former Chelsea star Tony Cascarino believes that Raheem Sterling has got it in him to claim the coveted Ballon d’Or sometime in the future.
Tony Cascarino also stated that he would rather have Raheem Sterling in his team than somebody like Neymar.
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“Who would you rather have: Neymar or Sterling? I’d have Sterling as a player,” he told talkSPORT, a sports radio station.
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“Try to ignore the antics that have gone on with Neymar off the field, I actually think Sterling’s better on the field.
“His numbers are better and he’s playing in a better team. I’ve seen Neymar do things that no other footballer can do in the game, like a ‘Harlem Globetrotter’ footballer.
“But if you want a player to be brilliant for the team and score goals at the rate Neymar can, Sterling’s your man,” he added.
Cascarino further went on to state that the England International could clinch the Ballon d’Or in the future. However, he should continue to improve his game.
“I would definitely argue he’s in the top five players in the world,” he continued.
“What excites me about Sterling is the improvement. The improvement has been dramatic.
“If you were to put him on the market tomorrow, Man City wouldn’t take £150 million for him.
“If he continues to improve, he’ll become the first or second [best player in the world] and probably win the Ballon d’Or along the way.
“If he wins the Champions League with Man City and plays a big part in that, and he scores a lot of goals over the course of the season, he’ll have a great chance of winning it [the Ballon d’Or],” he stated.
Sterling though might have to wait for his turn to clinch the Ballon d’Or since Virgil van Dijk has emerged as one of the favourties to claim the award this year with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi behind him in the race.
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