Raheem Sterling’s new club Feyenoord have set up an emergency training camp in Belgium so the winger can train with his new team-mates, it has been revealed.
The former England star, who had his £325,000-a-week contract at Chelsea torn up in January, joined the Dutch side this week to link up with former Manchester United and Arsenal man Robin van Persie.
But an issue has arisen following the move, in that he is not allowed to even train with his new new team until he has a work visa – something that has not yet arrived.
That, though, does not apply to everywhere. And, speaking after his side’s 1-0 win over Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday – which Sterling watched from the stands – Van Persie revealed that he will be taking his side to Belgium purely so they can integrate the 31-year-old into their sessions.
‘That’s allowed abroad,’ Van Persie said of his new man’s availability to train. ‘We’re doing it for him, but I also want to work on our team development. We can have some good conversations and do something fun together.
‘He’ll start training the day after tomorrow, (Tuesday). We’ll see each week when he’s fit for a match. That will take some time, but that seems logical to me, since he hasn’t played for six months.’
Feyenoord are exploring a loophole that will allow Raheem Sterling to train with his new team
Robin van Persie is taking his side to Belgium, where Sterling will be able to get to work
Sterling hadn’t played for Chelsea since May 2024, having been frozen out under former Blues manager Enzo Maresca and also not featuring under Liam Rosenior.
He is yet to play a minute this season, with his last competitive game coming in May 2025, when he was on loan at Arsenal.
Daily Mail Sport reported that the 82-cap Englishman had received interest from at least 18 clubs in Europe’s top leagues.
But extensive discussions with Van Persie over his role at Feyenoord, complete with assurances of regular game time, convinced him to sign a deal until the end of the season.
Sterling said: ‘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.
‘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 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.’
Napoli, managed by Antonio Conte, were thought to be in the mix to sign Sterling, although the club played that down on towards the end of the transfer window.
The former Chelsea man currently can’t work due to the delay in the arrival of his work visa
Sterling may hope that regular gametime abroad can be a launchpad for him to break back into the national team, for whom he last played in 2022 and from which he has not retired.
Van Persie said following the move: ‘His football resume speaks for itself. He’s a player whose qualities can change the outcome of a game without a doubt, and I am convinced he will turn out to be a valuable addition to the team as we work towards achieving our goals in the second half of this season.’
