Raheem Sterling is not seeking vindication because he believed his actions were right all along. In a refreshingly open interview yesterday, the England winger cited stubbornness as his foremost characteristic, though honesty cannot have been too far behind.

By quickly establishing himself as a central figure in a Manchester City side who are top of the Barclays Premier League, scoring six goals in the process, Sterling’s decision to leave Liverpool last summer has been amply justified. The 20-year-old never had any doubts, demonstrating the strength of character that enabled him to leave London for Liverpool aged 15, a quality that underpinned his family’s move from Jamaica eight years earlier.

“I’m not trying to say I proved anyone wrong,” Sterling said. “It’s just what I thought