Raheem Sterling was singled out by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly when he ventured into the dressing room after a defeat last season.
The American was happy to make his presence felt after games and on one occasion took Sterling for a one-on-one chat following their loss to Brighton at Stamford Bridge back in April. Boehly wanted to remind the winger of his world class status but demand more from him in a leadership sense.
Sterling was spoken to individually before the whole squad was addressed, reports the Telegraph. The England international was the first major signing of the Boehly-era and he sits closest to the dressing room door, which may explain why the American approached him first.
The ex-Manchester City star is understood to have taken the criticism well before Boehly turned on the rest of the team, who underperformed immensely last term as Chelsea recorded their worst Premier League finish in well over two decades.
During his rant the American told the squad that their performances across the course of the campaign were ’embarrassing’. Boehly’s rousing speech did little to make a difference though as the Blues won just one of their final seven league games after the Brighton loss.
Frank Lampard found himself back in west London when Graham Potter was sacked mid-season. The duo were two of several men to occupy the Chelsea dugout last season as Boehly presided over a horror first campaign as the club’s owner, sacking Thomas Tuchel early on.
Sterling was signed when the German was still in charge but failed to replicate the form he showed previously in Manchester. The winger only scored nine times and has since lost his spot in the Three Lions squad with the Euros just months away.
He’s enjoyed a return to form at the start of the current campaign, only to be overlooked by Gareth Southgate. His performances have dipped in recent weeks however and he was jeered off by his own fans when he was hauled off during a 4-2 home loss against Wolves earlier this month.
The 29-year-old has not started for the Blues since with Mauricio Pochettino only handing him cameo appearances of the bench in Chelsea’s last two games against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
