Pep Guardiola has urged Raheem Sterling to stand up to the stick from his England critics.

The Manchester City winger impressed in Saturday’s win over Chelsea and has helped to keep his club joint-top of the Premier League.

He was slammed for his display last month in a World Cup qualifier against minnows Malta, however — a match in which he was dragged off at half-time by boss Gareth Southgate.

Before the Three Lions' games at home to Slovenia on Thursday and away in Lithuania three days later, Guardiola said: “Raz has to know that the job is not easy, so he cannot expect it always going well.

Chelsea resorted to some interesting tactics to stop Sterling... (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)
...but the 22-year-old had less fun on England duty last month (
Image:
Getty)

“I want to see, when it’s going bad in the national team, the way that he reacts.

“He mustn’t complain. Ideally, he’d say, ‘OK I’m here, manager/coach. Gareth Southgate/Pep, I show you how good I am.’ That is the only way to become a better player.”

Sterling has scored six times in nine appearances for City this season, but has become used to being singled out whenever England disappoint.

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Guardiola has praised his willingness to sacrifice himself for his club and encouraged him to do similarly for his country.

He added: “We know that he likes to play more in the middle, attack the central defenders, than be wide on the line.

“But the way we wanted to play [against Chelsea] it was so necessary to be wide, go, make an action.

“But he’s young, he has a lot of room to improve — in the last pass, the last assist, to be more clear in the last action. When he’s able to get that he will become a top, top, top, top player.”

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Will Manchester City's Raheem Sterling ever "become a top, top, top, top player"?