Raheem Sterling joins Feyenoord as a free agent following Chelsea departure - 'Playing abroad is a whole new challenge for me'
Published 12/02/2026 at 18:16 GMT
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Raheem Sterling has joined Dutch side Feyenoord as a free agent. He will play for Robin van Persie's team for the rest of the season. Sterling has been without a club since terminating his contract with Chelsea last month. In happier times, Sterling established himself as one of the biggest names in English football, first with Liverpool and then for seven years with Manchester City.
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Raheem Sterling has joined Dutch side Feyenoord as a free agent.
The former England international has been without a club since terminating his contract with Chelsea last month.
Now he will link up with former Manchester United star Robin van Persie, the head coach at Feyenoord.
The 31-year-old has signed a deal that will last until the end of this season.
Sterling joined Chelsea from Manchester City in 2022 and still had 18 months left on his contract in west London.
But the relationship between player and club had long since broken down, with Sterling training with the "bomb squad" this season after failing to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge last summer.
"As a free agent, I’ve had, for the first time in a long time, the opportunity to control the next step in my career," Sterling, who spent last season on loan at Arsenal, said.
"I wanted to take my time to speak with clubs and their head coaches to better understand the role they envisioned for me and ensure that I can add real value in this next chapter.
"Having spoken in great detail with CEO Dennis te Kloese and Robin, I’m confident that Feyenoord is a place I can be happy and establish myself as a valued member of the team.
"Playing abroad is a whole new challenge for me - and one I’m ready to embrace. Honestly, I’m just excited to get started."
Van Persie said: "Naturally, it’s a fantastic feat that we’ve managed to convince a player of Raheem’s calibre to sign with us.
"His football resume speaks for itself. He’s a player whose qualities can change the outcome of a game without a doubt.
"I am convinced he will turn out to be a valuable addition to the team."
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In happier times, Sterling established himself as one of the biggest names in English football.
He has made nearly 400 Premier League appearances, having initially broken through at Liverpool and then played for Manchester City for seven years.
Sterling has also made 82 England appearances, the last of them coming in their 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-final defeat to France in Qatar.
Feyenoord are in second place in the Eredivisie, but they are 17 points behind runaway leaders PSV Eindhoven.
Van Persie's team play at home to Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday, which will be followed seven days later by another home match, against Telstar.
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