Does Sterling deserve hate for going to Manchester City?

Raheem Sterling signed for Manchester City from Liverpool on July 14th in a deal worth £49 million. Sterling was playing on the first team for Liverpool at just 20 years old in the 2014/15 season and was one of their key players in the starting 11. Raheem Sterling had a great season last year, scoring 7 goals and getting 7 assists. Sterling was becoming a fan favorite at Liverpool, but that all changed when he went to Manchester City.

Raheem Sterling received a lot of hate from Liverpool fans after not accepting a new contract for the club after the 2014/15 season. The club offered him a new contract where they would pay Sterling £100,000 a week. Sterling was accused of “getting ahead of his age” and “being greedy”. Sterling now earns £200,000 a week, which is double what he would have earned at Liverpool!

There are several factors to look at to determine if Sterling’s move to Manchester City is “right”:

•      First of all, he is not showing loyalty to Liverpool after only one or two good seasons with them. As to whether he betrayed Liverpool, it was ultimately the choice of the club to send him to another team that competes against Liverpool in the same league. If Sterling had gone to a club in another league, such as Dortmund or Roma, I don’t think the Liverpool fans would have complained as much.
•      Another factor is his wage, and if you are a professional athlete, you are going to want to make as much money as you can. That’s the way that all professions and jobs work, to an extent. You try and make the most money that you can make according to your level of skill in your field of expertise. It is alright to want more money, but is Sterling being greedy? I honestly don’t think he is. He is an extremely talented soccer player that wants to be paid as much as he possibly can.
•      The final factor to look at is the level of the two clubs. As a soccer player you not only want to be paid the most you can, but also win trophies and be successful with your team. Liverpool had a poor season last year finishing 6th, whereas Manchester City are consistent title contenders and finished 2nd behind Chelsea last season.

In conclusion, he may have not been extremely loyal to Liverpool, but he just wanted to win more trophies, and be at a more competitive club, while earning a lot of money and being as successful as he can be. I honestly do not think that he deserves all of the hate he is receiving from Liverpool.