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Wednesday, 22 July 2015 00:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling in action at the AS Roma v Manchester City - International Champions Cup Pre Season Friendly Tournament yesterday at MCG, Melbourne, Australia - Reuters
Melbourne (Reuters): Record signing Raheem Sterling made an instant impression on his Manchester City debut, scoring in the third minute of the Premier League club’s penalty shootout win over AS Roma in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old was jeered at the Melbourne Cricket Ground when he tripped over the ball on one of his first touches in the area, but a minute later soaked up the acclaim after slotting home a through ball from Nigerian teenager Kelechi Iheanacho.
Though all eyes were on Sterling, the most expensive English player in history after joining from Liverpool for a reported 49 million pounds, it was goalkeeper Joe Hart who secured victory with two fine saves in the shootout as City prevailed 5-4 on spot-kickshh after the teams drew 2-2.
Aleksandar Kolarov missed City’s second kick in the shootout but Hart parried away a weak effort from Seydou Doumbia and also denied Seydou Keita to clinch the International Champions Cup victory in front of a crowd of 41,134.
Sterling’s transfer fee generated plenty of debate, but his man-of-the-match performance against the Serie A side was a positive start in justifying his price-tag.
He was desperately unlucky not to create a second goal before being substituted at halftime, garnering no sympathy from Australian referee Jarred Gillett despite a forceful challenge from Alessandro Florenzi that took out the Englishman’s legs.
