RAHEEM STERLING met his new Arsenal teammates for the first time in the dressing room in the aftermath of their 1-1 draw with Brighton.
And the 29-year-old is ready to hit the ground running thanks to a specialised individual fitness programme alongside a former Three Lions coach.
Sterling was in the stands at the Emirates for the Seagulls clash – hours after joining the Gunners on a season-long loan from Chelsea on Deadline Day.
Having only seen his Arsenal switch confirmed at around 2am on Saturday morning, Sterling was unable to make the squad, instead showing support for his new club alongside his family.
And he was given a great reception from the Arsenal fans just before kick-off with his name read out over the tannoy system.
Joined by another late loan capture in Bournemouth keeper Neto, Sterling made his way down to the changing rooms at the final whistle to introduce himself to members of the squad he was yet to catch up with.
It was a game that saw Arsenal drop points after Declan Rice’s controversial sending off for two yellow cards in either half.
Sterling is expected to take part in his first full training session at London Colney today – reuniting with boss Mikel Arteta who was Manchester City’s assistant under Pep Guardiola between 2016 and 2019.
SunSport understands that Arsenal are anticipating Sterling to be a fast learner under Arteta as a result, with the player raring to go to prove himself after being brutally axed from the Chelsea squad.
Sterling has been keeping fit away from Cobham over the last two weeks with England’s former lead physical performance coach Ben Rosenblatt – who stepped down from his role in June 2023 after seven years.
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The pair have worked together for pre-seasons in the past, and have recently made use of Sterling’s state-of-the-art fitness facilities at his home in West London.
Sterling could be thrown into a Prem debut for Arsenal straight after the international break due to Rice’s suspension ahead of the trip to face North London rivals Tottenham on September 15.
