Football
ESPN staff 9y

Raheem Sterling criticism 'upsets' ex-England colleague Frank Lampard

Former England midfielder Frank Lampard has been "upset" by some of the criticism aimed at Raheem Sterling this week.

Sterling did not start England's Euro 2016 qualifying win in Estonia on Sunday after telling manager Roy Hodgson that he felt tired.

Hodgson's decision to make this conversation public has prompted debate in England all week, with the player himself having both his fitness and commitment questioned in some quarters. Lampard feels it is unfair to turn on the 19-year-old, who is still early in his career and still to develop physically.

Lampard, a teammate of Sterling's at the World Cup last summer, told BBC Radio Five Live: "I think he is actually quite a brave boy to say, 'You know what I am not quite at my best here.'

"I am actually quite upset, not with the manager as such, but that the aftermath has been a lot of people criticising Raheem Sterling -- who is probably in the top two or three players in our country and we need him to be at his best -- for making quite a brave decision.

"I think we need to get behind him. Whether it is right or wrong, I don't know, but we are all individuals and he made that call."

One accusation thrown at Liverpool forward Sterling, who has become a key player for club and country over the past year, is that he is a well-paid professional, and therefore should be fit. Lampard does not see how that argument is relevant.

The veteran midfielder said: "I would take the money out of it. That is easily said and I hate it when money gets drawn into things, in terms of 'because he is getting paid [this] he should act like this'. It happens too much.

"The fact is, when that is your job, when you are doing it regularly, you have to make calls. I think Raheem made a judgement call on that game alone.

"Hopefully he will get 100 caps and be very successful for England."

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