England's Sterling ready to hit the gold standard

Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Manchester City - London Stadium, London, Britain - April 29, 2018 Manchester City's Raheem Sterling applauds the fans after the match Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

LONDON (Reuters) - When England winger Raheem Sterling last played in a major tournament he became a symbol of all that was wrong with the national team, even branding himself 'The Hated One' on Instagram after being pilloried by supporters following the country's embarrassing defeat by Iceland at Euro 2016.

Two years on, he arrives in Russia as a player reborn and intent on proving himself among the game's elite.