The 30-year-old is out of the picture at Chelsea but wages could be a big issue

14:36, 29 Sep 2025Updated 19:31, 29 Sep 2025

Brendan Rodgers and Raheem Sterling during their Liverpool days

Ally McCoist reckons Raheem Sterling could reignite his career at Celtic under old boss Brendan Rodgers.

The 30-year-old is out of the picture at Chelsea and McCoist believes a move north of the border is an option worth considering.

Rangers legend McCoist knows the Scottish Premiership giants couldn’t compete with his eye-watering £325,000-a-week wage at Stamford Bridge.

However, he believes Sterling could do worse than head to Parkhead for footballing reasons in a huge World Cup year.

Hoops boss Rodgers handed Sterling his breakthrough as a young Liverpool player and the pair’s famous training ground bust-up was caught on camera in the thanks FOX documentary Being:Liverpool.

He eventually left Anfield for Man City in acrimonious circumstances but McCoist told football betting site talkSPORT Bet: “You’d have to say his parent club would still shoulder the vast majority of his wages because there’s absolutely no way that Celtic could compete or would want to pay that level of wage.

Raheem Sterling

“It’s an interesting one, though, because the one thing you have to say is, for Raheem Sterling, what does he want to do? I think the ball’s in his court as well, as much as anything.

“He probably understands and realises he’s not going to get that wage at another club. So, he’s going to have to take a hit somewhere along the line. It’s just how much he wants to take a hit and where he wants to take that hit. But that hit is going to have to be taken, no doubt about it.

“It’ll be an opportunity to kickstart his career again in Scotland, because it’s a shame. He looks lost. He certainly looks unrecognisable to the Raheem Sterling that we knew back in the day at Liverpool and obviously Chelsea and things like that when he was firing on all cylinders.

“It seems like yesterday, the talk was of him getting back into Gareth Southgate’s squad. But again, for whatever reason, I don’t know what it is, lack of confidence or lack of form, he’s dipped and he’s going to have to do something.

“And I don’t care what they say, they’re massive, massive clubs in Glasgow. And if you can come up there and hit the ground running, then your status within the city and your status within the club will get you back pages again, where you want to be.

“What you’re doing on the pitch, you’re in the spotlight, you’re seriously in it. You’re under the spotlight here when you’re up in Glasgow. And it’s something I think he could handle fine. I think he could handle the football fine. But as I say, it’s just how he wants to go about it. But he’s going to have to get back playing somewhere soon.”

One man who has already been reunited with Rodgers at Celtic is striker Kelechi Iheanacho after the pair worked together at Leicester City and, with a couple of goals to his name already, McCoist has been impressed.

He said: “I believe there’s a certain scepticism among both Rangers and Celtic fans right now.

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“They want more from their clubs and are a little hesitant when new players arrive. They’re saying: ‘Okay, come on then, let’s see what you’ve got,’ before fully getting behind them.

“I just think there’s a little bit of doubt, which is understandable. Celtic fans aren’t happy, they don’t think the club is spending money to move forward. Rangers fans are unhappy with the current situation at their club. So, both sets of fans are a little upset with what’s going on at their own club, and that naturally carries over to new signings.

“However, I think he’ll score goals. I thought he looked lively in Europe (against Red Star Belgrade), it was his best game, and I still think there’s room for improvement. He got his goal last night, and I think he’ll be fine. I believe Celtic supporters will take to him and enjoy him.”