The young defender was involved with Thomas Tuchel’s first-team squad in pre-season this summer after being out of action for a year due to a serious hamstring injury, and will now continue to build up match fitness and sharpness on loan.

After signing a new two-year contract, Sterling will be competing in the Championship for 2021/22 with newly-promoted Blackpool, who defeated Lincoln City in last season’s League One play-off final.

Sterling joined Chelsea’s Academy as an eight-year-old and helped the Blues win the FA Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League in 2016, while still an Under-16. He picked up two more winner’s medals in the Youth Cup, and scored in two finals, as well as being part of the same England side as Mason Mount which won the European Under-19 Championship.

The last of his three Youth Cup triumphs came in the same season as his senior debut for the Blues, coming off the bench in a 5-1 League Cup win over Nottingham Forest in 2017/18, and a further substitute appearance against Norwich City in the FA Cup followed.

The 22-year-old previously spent time on loan with Coventry City, where he was a regular in the starting line-up, before stepping up to the Championship with Wigan Athletic for 2019/20. However, after a promising start, injury brought his time there to an early end and he returned to Cobham for treatment.