"It is just happiness" Sterling enjoys being a starter for England

has been a crucial player for

in recent seasons. The English forward has improved his game to new heights under

Pep Guardiola

and he is widely considered as one of the best wingers of the Premier League. However, the 26-year-old lost his place in Guardiola’s lineup toward the end of the last season and there have been speculations over his future at the Etihad Stadium. The England international admits he is not happy with his game time at Manchester City.

"It is just happiness, just being happy, enjoying my football and that is what I am doing being here with the national team. If you're not playing, you're not happy. That's me, that's been me since I was a kid, if I'm playing football I am really happy, if I'm not I'm not happy."

Sterling told a press conference.

Sterling scored the match-winner for

in their opening 1-0 win over Croatia. Asked about the Three Lions’ underwhelming performance against Scotland in their second Euro 2020 match, Sterling responded:

"I do feel there's a bit of an overreaction on the whole. I just feel there's more of a panic on the outside than inside the building.

"The players who have been at a few tournaments, who have huge experience, try to help the other ones.

"I don't see anyone in the camp that feels any pressure or feels hard done by. As much as we can inside the building the best thing we can do is focus on the training field, focus on what's being doing inside.

"We really shouldn't be looking what's the papers are saying, what pundits are saying. That's something we need to take for the rest of this tournament, the more you listen to outside noise, the more it can affect you.

"If you're not really looking into that the better it is for you as an individual and as a collective as well.

"We don't really, I'm not saying on the outside it's negativity, but we don't want any negativity creeping in and performance levels dropping, and confidence levels dropping, and that's all that it will do."

England will face the

in their last group stage game on Tuesday.

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