Inside Raheem Sterling's nightmare start at new club as Premier League legend could be fired

Former Liverpool star Raheem Sterling joined Feyenoord in February but has underwhelmed in the Eredivisie, with his disappointing performances adding pressure to manager Robin van Persie

Raheem Sterling has had a tough start to life at Feyenoord(Image: Wart Brinkerhof/Marcel ter Bals/Getty Images)

Former Premier League player Raheem Sterling arrived in Rotterdam hoping to revitalize his career at Feyenoord. Yet, a lackluster beginning at De Kuip threatens not only his own prospects but could also seal the fate of manager Robin van Persie.

Van Persie, who once faced Sterling during their respective spells at Manchester United and Liverpool, is now battling to retain his position. Feyenoord currently occupies second place in the Eredivisie but trails league leader PSV by 15 points, having secured just one victory in its previous four matches.

Sterling, 31, joined the Dutch giants in February following the termination of his $430,000-a-week Chelsea contract. While his arrival initially generated considerable excitement, Dutch football expert Michael Statham has revealed that Feyenoord supporters are now feeling rather disappointed by his contribution, or absence of it.

"I think the expectations aren't as high as they might have been if he were at an English club," Statham told the Mirror. "I think at Feyenoord what has helped is that the fans are aware of English football, they watch English football but they're not going to obsess over it. But they've obviously gone, 'Oh wow, there's a star from England that's come to join us', and it was exciting for the fans.

"However, I do think that there have been some comments, there have been some people [who are] maybe not thinking it's the most successful move and are a bit surprised he's not actually as good as people thought he would be."

Statham, who operates a Dutch football-focused X account (@FootballOranje_), acknowledged that Sterling's displays have shown signs of improvement. After initially coming off the bench, he's now established himself in Van Persie's first XI and has registered one assist across five appearances.

Robin van Persie is facing pressure as Feyenoord manager(Image: Pim Waslander/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Securing a top-two league position is crucial for Van Persie to rebuild confidence amongst the supporters. Yet with surprise contenders NEC Nijmegen and Ajax in hot pursuit, the decision to rely on Sterling as the catalyst for added quality and securing that vital finish remains uncertain.

"The way Feyenoord probably see it, and this is me speculating, they are having a terrible season," Statham explained. "They need to qualify for the Champions League for next season and that money is massive to the club because they go straight into the league phase by finishing second. There's no chance of winning the league, so it's all about finishing second.

"And with Van Persie struggling, they don't want to pull the trigger on getting rid of him. But they thought, 'Bring in Sterling and his wage over X games that he's got left before the end of the season is less than the money we'll get in the Champions League next season'.

"So it's a gamble worth taking because paying his wage for the rest of the season, it's like, well if we pay this we're probably going to get Champions League football because we know that with him and his talents [we'll likely qualify].So they've kind of put that faith in him that it will make a difference. Ultimately, I don't think it'll make a difference..."

Even a third-place finish in the Eredivisie would guarantee Feyenoord a place in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. But with just five points separating it and Ajax in fourth, its spot at Europe's elite competition is far from secured.

Raheem Sterling in action for Feyenoord(Image: Getty Images)

It was always probable that Sterling would need some time to adapt to the Dutch top flight before supporters witnessed his finest form. Despite featuring 28 times on loan at Arsenal last season, only 13 of those were starts.

The campaign before that, the England international netted 10 goals and provided 11 assists for Chelsea. And it's that iteration of the four-time Premier League winner that supporters in Rotterdam were perhaps eager to witness.

Naturally, the responsibility rests with more than just Sterling to deliver results and extract as much success from this campaign as possible. However, there's no escaping the pressure his arrival will create for Van Persie as much as the player himself.