Former Manchester City winger Trevor Sinclair has backed Raheem Sterling to become one of the best players in the world.

The England international has received a mixture of praise and criticism since he switched to the Etihad Stadium from Liverpool for £49m during the summer.

In addition, Manuel Pellegrini has left the 21-year-old out of the starting lineup for tonight's clash away at fellow title rivals Arsenal.

Nevertheless, Sinclair has insisted that Sterling still has the potential to reach the highest level.

"Usually, when you go into a big club as a young player you're hit by the expectancy but Raheem Sterling doesn't have that pressure at Man City, because there are so many galacticos there already," he told BBC Sport.

"That will allow him to develop his consistency. It's well known that wingers, like I was, are often the most inconsistent players on the pitch.

"It's a big statement I know, but I do think Sterling will be one of the best players in the world eventually."

Sterling has scored nine goals from his 27 appearances for club and country this season.