We caught up with Raheem Sterling at Nike's Phenomenal House in London to talk about his new Mercurial Superfly boots, the England squad and his first World Cup.
SB: You were only 15 during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, do you remember where you watched it?
RS: I watched it round my mates house, we were just chilling having a bit of pizza and enjoying the great tournament that it was. It's surreal to think I'm going to one, as a kid growing up it's everyone's dream to play at a World Cup and mine was no different and I'm very grateful to find myself in this position. It's something I've always wanted to work towards and I'm really looking forward to going out there and doing my best.
SB: How was the training camp in Portugal, was it good to meet up with the lads?
RS: Yeah, it was good. It wasn't quite the weather I was expecting but it was a great experience and we all worked really hard, hopefully that will show when we play against Peru on Friday.
SB: What's the atmosphere like in the England camp ahead of the World Cup?
RS: It's been really good, we've bonded well. Obviously I know the Liverpool lads really well and we're whole group is settled and comfortable and we're all looking forward to being together for the next few weeks.
SB: You've been training in the new Nike Superfly IV boots. What do you think of them?
RS: I really like them. They're so light, much lighter than the previous Mercurial. It's one thing training in them but you want to wear them in a game. The hi-top design has got a lot of attention from the lads and I'm finding them really comfortable.
SB: How many pairs of boots will you be taking to the World Cup?
RS: At the moment I've got two pairs for the training but in total I'll take three pairs of moulds and two pairs of mixed studs.
SB: What makes Nike the most exciting brand to work with in football?
RS: They're really competitive and unique and that's why they've been one of the lead brands for many years so I'm happy to be a part of it.
SB: Which players do you spend the most time with in the England camp?
RS: If I'm not with Hendo [Jordan Henderson] or Studge [Daniel Sturridge] then I'm with Chambo [Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain], Ross [Barkley], Flanno [Jon Flanagan]. I''m happy to spend time with all of the players, everyone gets on really well in the squad. I try to mix around and speak to everyone, to get to know the whole squad.
SB: Do you play much FIFA around the England camp?
RS: I play it quite a bit, I'm a big FIFA fan, I haven't been given a double partner yet but if I could choose then it'll probably be Chambo.
SB: You're known for your burst of pace. Are you the quickest in the England squad?
RS: I highly doubt that, there's a few that are faster than me!
SB: It feels like a new era for Liverpool and England. How exciting is it to be involved with both set ups at the moment?
RS: For Liverpool it's been a great year for us, everyone at the club has worked really hard and sadly we couldn't win the title but I'm here with England now and I'm focusing entirely on England and hopefully we can do as well as we know we can do both individually and as a team. We know we've got talented players in the squad and we're ready to work hard for each other.
SB: Which artist/bands will be on your playlist for the plane to Brazil?
RS: I'll be on my soundcloud sometime this week trying to search for something new but it'll mainly be Drake, the usual stuff really, I'm not really that fussy about music as long as there's something in my ears.
SB: Would you like to see Steven Gerrard remain as England captain after the World Cup?
RS: It would be great to have someone such as him as captain but it's up to him. He's been a legend, an idol and an icon for his whole career so it would be great if he does carry on.
Raheem Sterling was at the opening of Nike Phenomenal House, at the Sorting Office, New Oxford street, London, for a week long celebration of the lifestyle of football. #riskeverything
