Raheem Sterling joins Feyenoord until end of season

Former Chelsea and Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling has joined Dutch club Feyenoord on a deal until the end of the season.

The England international left Chelsea by mutual consent in January after agreeing a settlement package with the Stamford Bridge club over the final 18 months of his contract, worth in excess of £300,000-per-week.

Sterling, 31, has spent time discussing numerous options, but joined Feyenoord, who are second in the Eredivisie table and managed by former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie.

“As a free agent, I’ve had, for the first time in a long time, the opportunity to control the next step,” he said.

“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.”

Feyenoord are 17 points behind league leaders PSV and Van Persie added: “Naturally it’s a fantastic feat that we’ve managed to convince a player of Raheem’s calibre to sign with us.

“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.”