Raheem Sterling made his long-awaited debut for Feyenoord on Sunday, his first appearance since May 25, when he was still playing for Arsenal.
Introduced for the final half hour, the English winger struggled to make an impact and looked short of rhythm, a performance that quickly drew attention in the Dutch media.
Journalist Valentijn Driessen, speaking to De Telegraaf, did not hide his disappointment, pointing out Sterling’s lack of initiative and his tendency to play backward rather than take risks going forward. He also stressed that Jordan Bos offered more on the left flank during the match, suggesting that Sterling’s debut fell well below expectations after such a long absence from competitive football.