Raheem Sterling Left on Bench in Feyenoord's 2-1 Win
Raheem Sterling stayed on the bench for Feyenoord's 2-1 win over Fortuna Sittard, and Robin van Persie never turned to the 31-year-old. The decision came in an Eredivisie match that pushed Feyenoord closer to second place and the Champions League ticket that goes with it.
Van Persie Picks Tobias van den Elshout
Tobias van den Elshout started on the left wing instead of Sterling, and Van Persie kept that slot unchanged long enough for the youth player to be substituted for Gaoussou Diarra in the second half. Sterling never left the bench, a clear sign that he was not part of the plan for a game Feyenoord still had to finish off.
Givairo Read settled it late with the winner. Feyenoord's 2-1 result was enough to take a huge step in Sittard toward second place, which is the position tied to the Champions League place the club wants secured.
Sterling's Short Feyenoord Spell
Sterling arrived in February after his contract at Chelsea was terminated by mutual agreement. Since then, he has not become an undisputed starter under Van Persie, and Feyenoord management decided at the end of last month not to extend his short-term contract beyond this season.
The numbers around his spell are thin. He has zero goals and one assist in the Eredivisie, a return that leaves little room for a late push into the side when the club is chasing a league finish that carries far more weight than one more appearance for a veteran winger.
Interest in Sterling is already building away from Rotterdam, with Charlotte FC reportedly showing concrete interest in signing him as a possible successor to Wilfried Zaha. For Feyenoord, the cleanest reading is simple: Van Persie's choice in Sittard pointed away from Sterling, and the club's own contract call points the same direction.
