Kevin de Bruyne sends message to English media regarding Raheem Sterling

The Man City teammates will come up against each other on Saturday afternoon

It's been a tough World Cup for Raheem Sterling. Moved inside to a central position, his role has involved a lot of dropping into pockets of space and linking up with onrushing midfielders. He has played selflessly and it has proved to be a thankless task, mainly due to the fact that he did not score a goal. He's used to criticism, having been scrutinised for his every move for years by the right-wing press, but it is still way over the top, according to his Manchester City teammate Kevin De Bruyne. De Bruyne told the Times: “Raheem has done really well in the games I saw." “He hasn’t scored goals, but not everything in football is about goals," he added. “Raheem is a wonderful player. He’s an easy-going guy who gives everything for everyone, even with the criticism. Personally, I don’t understand why you would criticise people from your own country when all they are trying to do is win it.”