ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Former England international Raheem Sterling joined Dutch team Feyenoord on Thursday until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old Sterling left Chelsea by mutual agreement last month and was a free agent.

“As a free agent, I’ve had, for the first time in a long time, the opportunity to control the next step in my career,” he said. “I wanted to take my time to speak with clubs and their head coaches to better understand the role they envisioned for me and ensure that I can add real value in this next chapter.”

Sterling has played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and on loan at Arsenal.

He won four Premier League titles with City.

But his $56.5 million move to Chelsea in 2022 failed to live up to expectations and he made just 81 appearances, scoring 19 goals.

Feyenoord is coached by former Arsenal, Manchester United and Netherlands striker Robin van Persie.

“Naturally it’s a fantastic feat that we’ve managed to convince a player of Raheem’s caliber to sign with us,” Van Persie said. “His football resume speaks for itself: he’s a player whose qualities can change the outcome of a game without a doubt and I am convinced he will turn out to be a valuable addition to the team as we work towards achieving our goals in the second half of this season.”

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