Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard has defended struggling Blues star Raheem Sterling, insisting that the England international already has credit in the bank for what he has done for Manchester City and the England national team in the past.

Sterling, who was the first signing of Chelsea’s whirlwind recruitment drive this term, has not replicated the displays that saw him score 131 goals in seven years at Manchester City.

The £50 million recruit has only scored four Premier League goals since arriving at Stamford Bridge last July.

Speaking about Sterling amid his struggles at the west London club, Lampard was quoted by Chelsea’s website as saying, “I have spent the last three years talking to all my younger wingers that I work with, showing them videos of Raheem Sterling arriving at the back post, doing defensively the work he does.

“You absolutely cannot take that away from him, what he has done, for Manchester City and England.

“When you move to a club, even though everyone on the outside goes ‘oh what hard work that is, moving from Man City to Chelsea, what a terrible situation’, it does bring around changes in your life.

“He has got credit in the bank. Keep working, things around him falling more into place, I think with Raheem he will show what he’s shown in his career.”