[size=small][font='Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif]So far in his Premier League career, going into Sunday’s game at Stoke City, Sterling has scored 18 goals in 95 games (a rate of 0.23 goals per 90 minutes) and 14 assists (0.18 per 90 minutes). This season – during which he has turned 20 – he has seven goals, seven assists and has created 75 chances in 35 games. Those numbers are pretty good. Especially given Liverpool have lost Luis Suárez, been largely without Daniel Sturridge, and have seen Steven Gerrard coming out much the worse from a crunching challenge with Father Time.[/font][/size]
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[size=small][font='Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif]In particular those 75 chances created stand out. The season Ronaldo turned 20, he created 49 chances in 33 games for Manchester United, and Messi managed 40 from 28 matches. David Silva registered 40 from 34 matches, Gareth Bale 39 from 23 matches and Theo Walcott 22 from 25 matches. Sterling trumps them all.[/font][/size]
[size=small][font='Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif]Indeed, only Eden Hazard and Mesut Özil posted better chance creation numbers at the same age. And remember, Sterling did this in a Liverpool side that struggled to get past 50 Premier League goals. Last season they scored 101.[/font][/size]
[size=small][font='Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif]Admittedly, Sterling isn’t quite at the very top table when you rank players based on their goals and assists by the age of 20. Lionel Messi stands alone (he was scoring nearly three goals every four games even then) with Hazard and Arjen Robben the next best, albeit in the weaker Ligue 1 and Eredivisie. But Sterling’s numbers either match up, or are better than, everyone else in his position.[/font][/size]
[size=small][font='Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif]The comparisons with Sterling and Ronaldo at 20 are also worth exploring. At that age Ronaldo was not the goalscoring terminator he is now. According to Opta, he had played 64 Premier League games, scoring nine goals (0.2 per 90 minutes) and creating eight assists (0.18 per 90 minutes). Of course these numbers don’t tell you everything. Ronaldo was already an immense talent. He had starred in an FA Cup final and had a decent Euro 2004. But at 20 his raw numbers weren’t any better than Sterling’s. He certainly wasn’t a world beater.[/font][/size]
[size=small][font='Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif]There are other caveats, too. Young players mature at different rates, and past performance is not always a guarantee of future success. But as Omar Chaudhuri, the head of football intelligence at 21st Club points out, Sterling’s numbers have not been inflated by unsustainable hot streaks, which therefore makes what we have seen so far a decent indicator of what will happen from now on.[/font][/size]
[size=small][font='Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif]Chaudhuri, who works with several top European clubs, also makes another point. When it comes to highly rated young players, the transfer market has often got it right. He points to the list of the 25 most expensive under-23 signings in history. The top five? Neymar, James Rodríguez, Gianluigi Buffon, Rio Ferdinand and Sergio Agüero. Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres (from Atlético Madrid to Liverpool), Hazard, Robben and Ronaldinho are also on the list.[/font][/size]
[size=small][font='Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif]There are duds in there too – Andy Carroll for one. But there are far fewer mistakes than in the list of big-money transfers from 23-30, which includes Kaká’s transfer to Real Madrid. Torres’s move to Chelsea, Gaizka Mendieta’s move to Lazio and many other flops.[/font][/size]
[size=small][font='Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif]As Chaudhuri puts it: “It’s also interesting that a lot of prodigies in Sterling’s position – Ronaldo, Hazard, Mata, Bale, Özil – were at least 21 before they made their first big-money move, which tells us a couple of things. First, that clubs are already willing to spend big on Sterling – and probably have been for a year, so since he’s been 19 – reflects his ability and potential. And second that his value is likely to be nowhere near its peak.”
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[size=small][font='Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif]Does this mean Sterling will develop into one of the best players in the world? We can’t be certain. But we can say this. There is an enormous amount to like about his football already and the odds are that he will get much better.[/font][/size]
