SOUTH FLORIDA – With a little less than halfway of the current English Premier League Season left, Manchester City sits atop the league, 15 points clear of the 2nd place team, Manchester United and 16 points clear of last year’s champion Chelsea.
Undeniably, many games remain to be played.
However, if Man City retains the form it has displayed in the first half of the season, they will not be caught, not even by the likes of a Usain Bolt.
Raheem “Jamaican Brit, little bit a pound” Sterling
One of the integral components of Man City’ overwhelming success this year is Jamaican-Brit Raheem Sterling. Sterling who originates from Maverly in Kingston, Jamaica is an attacking midfielder.
Raheem Sterling currently stands as the 3rd leading goal scorer of the current EPL season with 13 goals.
Although Sterling is relatively diminutive, standing at 1, 70 m (less than 5’ 6’’) his play this year has been monumental.
He seems to be finding the form that is befitting of the 49 million pound transfer fee that City paid his former team Liverpool. The transfer fee is the highest ever paid for an English Player.
Sterling was courted briefly by the Jamaican Football Federation much to the delight of his mother, who vociferously encouraged Sterling to play for his birth land.
However, England capped him in 2012, whom he subsequently appeared for as a member of England’s 2014 World Cup Team. Many Jamaican football observers were skeptical about the “courtship” by the JFF and the late Horace Burrell, deeming it only a farce.
A day or two after Jamaica relinquished its consideration of Raheem Sterling and former Liverpool teammate Daniel Sturridge, the JFF’s football debt to the English Football Association was miraculously forgiven.
Sterling is seeking to mirror the success of Leicester City’s Wes Morgan. In 2016, the Jamaican, Morgan, became the first Caribbean National to lift the cup (as captain) for an English Premier League team. Although Sterling is not one of Man City’s captains, he is without doubt a very important part of City’s success.
Sterling has also been lauded for his charitable contributions in Jamaica. Although he emigrated to England at the age of 5, Sterling has given back quite generously to Jamaica. Both Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge, (the latter originating from Westmoreland) have given back charitably to Jamrock.
Jamaicans can all take pride in this generosity, and we hope to see Raheem Sterling #7 at number one, at the culmination of this current EPL season.
