Sterling struggled during his first season at Stamford Bridge (Picture: Getty)

Mauricio Pochettino says Raheem Sterling with have an ‘important’ role to play in his Chelsea side going forward.

The England international joined the Blues from Manchester City last summer but endured a difficult first season back in London, scoring just six times following the £50million move.

The 28-year-old is among those at Chelsea who will now get a clean slate following Pochetttino’s arrival at Stamford Bridge

‘I think he’s an important player for us. He’s in our plan,’ Pochettino said. ‘He can provide to the team many different things. We are confident we can get the best from him to help the team to achieve what we want.’

Sterling’s drop-off in form last season resulted in him being dropped from the England squad with the forward revealing a change in diet took its toll on him.

‘In the season I changed a bit of my diet,’ Sterling explained.

‘I went to do something a little bit different I hadn’t done before and I had a little bit more kilogrammes on me that I haven’t had before.’

Pochettino will select a new captain this summer (Picture: Getty)

‘I think I was probably carrying a bit of extra weight, I had a few hamstring problems and probably towards the end of the season the hamstring was playing up again, and that was it; and me and the manager made a decision together to try and get the hamstring right.’

Also among the items in Pochettino’s in-tray is selecting a new club captain following the departure of Cesar Azpilicueta, who has joined Atletico Madrid.

Pochettino however was giving nothing away and says his new skipper will be revealed ahead of their opening game of the new season against Liverpool.

‘I’m not going to name until before the Liverpool game. I need to see the reaction, how they behave, how they react,’ he said.

‘It’s a time to assess everyone and see what is going on and to see who will be in the squad. It is not really important. For some people yes. Now it is important to assess and be right in the decision.’

MORE : Graeme Souness questions Arsenal’s £65m summer deal for former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz

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Chelsea’s pre-season is in full swing.