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Raheem Sterling has big England future, Gael Clichy says

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Gael Clichy says that Raheem Sterling needed time to fit into at Man City

Raheem Sterling is on the road to becoming a "tremendous player for England", Manchester City team-mate Gael Clichy says.

The forward lines up against old club Liverpool on Saturday Night Football this weekend for the first time since leaving for City in a £49m deal that made him England's most expensive footballer.

Sterling is sure he made the right decision and his recent performances, including a hat-trick against Bournemouth and a Champions League goal at Sevilla, have convinced Clichy he is now settled in Manchester.

"You need time to adjust when you come to a new club and a new way of playing football," Clichy told Sky Sports News HQ. "Liverpool is a great club, City is a fantastic club. You need time.

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"Some players like Kevin De Bruyne can turn up and they are 'on it', others need a bit more time and Raheem was probably one of those, but the last four weeks he's been really impressive.

"If he carries on the way he's doing I'm pretty sure he's going to be a tremendous player for England."

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Clichy returned to the City squad this month after injury but is yet to feature this season as he approaches the final 18 months of his contract.

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"It's an honour to be part of this club," the left-back said. "I'm just going to be focused on trying to stay fit, and the rest is in the future.

"If I can extend my contract it would be a pleasure, if not I'll have to look for something else."

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