Raheem Sterling assured by Gareth Southgate he still has major World Cup role

Gareth Southgate has assured Raheem Sterling he still has a big part to play in England’s World Cup campaign, even if he is dropped for Sunday’s game against Panama.

Sterling is expected to be replaced by Marcus Rashford for England’s second Group G game in Nizhny Novgorod, but Southgate has moved to make sure that the forward’s confidence is not dented.

It is understood England manager Southgate has spoken personally with Sterling to explain how highly he values him and how much he still believes in him.

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As reported by Telegraph Sport, Southgate had already been deliberating over replacing Sterling with Rashford before Sterling’s disappointing performance against Tunisia.

And if he is benched for the Panama game, there remains every chance that Sterling will return for the final group game against Belgium which could decide which team finishes top

Dele Alli is also set to miss the Panama match, with a thigh strain, but he too hopes to return in time for the Belgium clash in Kaliningrad.

On the fitness of Dele, Southgate said: “He is progressing really well. He has not trained with the team yet. He is still working with the medical team and he is obviously going to be tight for this (Panama) game.

“We will keep assessing, keep the option open for him. I was really pleased with the way he played against Tunisia - let’s see how he progresses.”

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Meanwhile, Sterling has revealed his incredible journey from helping his mother clean hotel toilets to becoming an England World Cup star.

Writing for the Players’ Tribune website, Sterling described his move from Jamaica as a five-year-old and his upbringing in London before rejecting Arsenal to start his football career at Queens Park Rangers.