England boss Gareth Southgate has claimed that Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling is 'tough enough' to handle the criticism that he has had to face in the past.
The 22-year-old can often blow hot and cold for his national side, scoring the most recent of his two goals for the Three Lions against Estonia in October 2015.
Sterling is in fine form at club level, however, having scored six times for City despite starting just half of their 10 games in all competitions.
Southgate withdrew Sterling during half time of the disjointed 4-0 win over Malta last month, but he insists that the former Liverpool ace has the resilience to bounce back for the double-header against Slovenia and Lithuania.
"I think Raheem is a tough lad," he told reporters. "That's one of the attributes I really like about him. He bounces back from disappointments and he goes again. He is ready, I can see he is ready for the game and looking forward to it.
"He is in a good place with his club, he is working with a good coach there and we have huge belief in him as well. He's at a moment where, like a lot of these guys, the next few years are very important to establish themselves as top players. Their experiences at their clubs will only benefit them, training with top players and playing in the Champions League.
"The opportunities to improve are always there. He recognises that. We want the crowd to be excited with what they're watching and he's a player who can do that: he can beat people; his goalscoring record is improving, which is important; and he works hard for the team, chasing back and tackling. He's not just a winger. Raheem is in a really good moment, an exciting player."
Sterling is expected to start Thursday evening's meeting with Slovenia at Wembley Stadium, playing behind Harry Kane in a central attacking-midfield position.
Daniel Lewis
