Raheem Sterling has joined Feyenoord until the end of the season, ending his long spell in English football and taking on his first club challenge abroad at the age of 31.
The former England forward became a free agent after leaving Chelsea in January and has now been unveiled by the Eredivisie side ahead of the run-in.
Sterling has not played competitively since May 2025 after falling out of favour at Stamford Bridge and spending this season training away from the first-team group.
His move to the Netherlands reunites him with a familiar Premier League face, with Robin van Persie now head coach at Feyenoord.
Sterling’s representatives explored the market extensively before he committed to the switch, speaking to 18 clubs across four of Europe’s top leagues.
Sterling said the process gave him a rare chance to take full control of his next step and make a decision based on the role he would be asked to play rather than simply the name of the club.
He added that detailed discussions with Van Persie and Feyenoord’s leadership convinced him that Rotterdam was the right place to restart his career.
Sterling described playing abroad as a new challenge and insisted he is ready to embrace it after spending his entire senior career in England.
Van Persie welcomed the signing as a major statement and said Sterling’s resume and match-winning qualities speak for themselves.
For Feyenoord, the deal is a clear attempt to add proven experience and end-product as they look to finish the season strongly and secure Champions League qualification.
Sterling’s arrival also closes the chapter on one of the most decorated attacking careers of the Premier League era.
He first broke through at Liverpool as a teenager before moving to Manchester City in 2015, where he won four Premier League titles and became one of the division’s most reliable wide forwards.
He later joined Chelsea in 2022 for a fee reported to be GBP47.5m but struggled to maintain his best form and was eventually pushed out of the picture under successive managerial changes.
Sterling spent a season on loan at Arsenal but failed to make a consistent impact, scoring once in 28 appearances and starting only a handful of league matches.
Despite his recent decline, his overall numbers remain significant, with 386 Premier League appearances, 131 goals and a reputation built on pace, direct running and big-game experience.
Sterling has also earned 82 England caps, although his last international appearance came at the 2022 World Cup.
He could make his Feyenoord debut this weekend, with a home league fixture against Go Ahead Eagles offering his first opportunity to get back on the pitch.
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