Manchester City defender John Stones has suggested that Arsenal target Raheem Sterling should be named player of the tournament at Euro 2020.
The England forward has been in exhilarating form throughout the tournament, netting three goals and guiding the Three Lions through to the final of the tournament.
Despite that, there has been talk that Pep Guardiola could potentially be prepared to show Sterling the exit at the Etihad Stadium as soon as this summer.
The Sun reported last month that Arenal were consequently leading the race for his signature, with the reigning Premier League champions apparently willing to sell.
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Away from talk of a Manchester City departure, Stones decided to focus on the 26-year-old’s current form and suggested that he has been the standout player of the tournament ahead of Sunday’s final against Italy.
The defender said: “I’ve said it all along that I’m a big fan of Raheem’s.
“I’d definitely love to see him get player of the tournament, with what he’s done for us and the unselfish part of his game goes unspoken about. As players we see it.
“He’s been a great threat going forward and how direct he’s been in the games. It’s been great playing with him and I’m sure he’ll be giving everything on Sunday and being direct, hopefully he’ll get another goal and see where it takes us.
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“I couldn’t be happier for him, he has gone through some difficult times personally and I can only kind of speak from my point of view and what I have been through, you can see it has motivated him and he has come out the other end a better player and that is what top players do.
“They define something or they find a way when things aren’t going well to succeed and excel as a player and a person. Raheem has done that on and off the pitch. All I can say is that he really deserves it.”
Sterling scored 14 goals in all competitions for Manchester City last season and has two years left to run on his contract at the Etihad Stadium.