At the forefront of Raheem Sterling's mind when it comes to playing football is the legacy he will leave when he hangs up his boots.
The Manchester City forward has already been responsible for considerable change in the game off the pitch after deciding to speak out against racial equality, important trailblazing work for which he has been recognised by the Queen with an MBE. Sterling, though, is as keen to be remembered as one of the all-time greats for his efforts with a ball at his feet.
Having won four Premier League titles in five years as one of the most important cogs in a Pep Guardiola machine that is increasingly regarded as one of the best ever seen in English and world football, the 27-year-old is already a considerable way towards achieving what he wants. However, the greatest are never satisfied with what they have done when they can instead look forward to what they could yet achieve.
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With 12 months left on his current City deal, he must decide this summer whether to renew his contract at the Etihad — in all likelihood the biggest deal he will sign for the rest of his career given he is at a peak age — or head for a different challenge. Real Madrid are in the market for a superstar again after Kylian Mbappe's shock snub, while other European giants are paying close attention
While he would not rule out a few English clubs, Sterling has spoken warmly before about playing abroad and it is not hard to see why it would appeal (on top of the weather): few English players have played in a foreign league, so Sterling's career would stand out even more if he were able to shine at a top European club.
At the same time, there is history waiting for him with City and England and that may persuade him to stay in Manchester. The forward has always kept a close eye on landmark personal achievements; he takes pride in the fact that the only other players to have scored 100 goals under Guardiola are Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi, while after netting his 100th Premier League goal this season he described how becoming one of the competition's top scorers was "something that as a kid I was obsessed with".
Looming large on the horizon is the opportunity to make history at City: Sterling is five assists away from becoming the first player to manage both 100 goals and 100 assists in all competitions. He would certainly go down as the first to achieve this in the Premier League era and, especially given the sketchiness and inconsistent nature of recording assists historically, could well be clear in the all-time lists.
Sterling will ultimately choose the option he is most motivated by of the ones that are available to him this summer, and the biggest driver will be how important he will be in the project and how many games and big games he will start. One of the big influences behind that, though, is the desire to leave his mark in the record books and the chance to break new ground at City is certainly in his thoughts.
