Raheem Sterling of Manchester City controls the ball during the International Champions Cup friendly match against AS Roma on Tuesday in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: CFP

Raheem Sterling marked his Manchester City debut with a goal 176 seconds into their friendly against AS Roma. As statements of intent go it is a strong start and suggests that the England winger's move from Liverpool may prove a success for both player and club.

All eyes are now on the 20-year-old because he is the most expensive English footballer of all time. The record-breaking transfer fee, which could rise to 49 million pounds ($76.7 million), will inevitably be used as ammunition to pound Sterling whenever he fails to deliver anything less than a match-winning performance. Sterling, for his part, seems unfazed by the price tag but that could have been said about other players and not all of them proved to be a success.

What happened to the rest of the 10 most expensive English footballers and does their fate bode well for ­Manchester City's new No.7?


Andy Carroll 

(Newcastle United to Liverpool, £35 million)

Bought by Liverpool with the cash raised by Fernando Torres moving to Chelsea, Carroll only scored six times in the league and was overshadowed by fellow deadline-day signing Luis Suarez. Not fondly remembered on Merseyside, he currently plays for West Ham when he's not almost permanently injured.

Verdict: Miss

Rio Ferdinand 

(Leeds United to Manchester United, £30 million)

The England central defender moved for a world record fee for a defender in 2002 but paid back every penny over a trophy-laden 12 years, which included a Champions League title. It's no coincidence that the club's struggles to maintain that level of ­success have come with the decline and subsequent loss of Ferdinand.

Verdict: Hit

Luke Shaw 

(Southampton to Manchester United, £30 million)

Signed last ­summer, the left back had an injury-disrupted first season at Old Trafford following his return from the World Cup. The view is that if Shaw can get an uninterrupted run in the team then he will be first choice for club and country over the next decade, and the fee will be regarded as a bargain.

Verdict: Jury's Out

Wayne Rooney 

(Everton to Manchester United, £27 million)

Manchester United and England captain Rooney burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old and two years later was making the short move from Liverpool to Manchester. While never quite hitting the levels of Messi and Ronaldo that the English press hyped him up for, Rooney is on course to become United's record scorer and has won trophies galore for the club.

Verdict: Hit

James Milner 

(Aston Villa to Manchester City, £26 million)

The former Leeds youngster was part of Manchester City's brightest period, winning two league titles, but never nailed down the central midfield role he played at Aston Villa. Having moved to Liverpool on a free this summer, it will soon be clear how much City miss the model professional that they came to call on in the biggest games.

Verdict: Jury's Out

Adam Lallana 

(Southampton to Liverpool, £25 million)

Like Shaw, Lallana attracted the ­attention of one of the country's biggest clubs after coming through Southampton's impressive Saints Academy. His debut season at Anfield was a mixed bag with impressive ­performances pockmarked by injury and an inability to affect games as the club struggled to adapt to life without Luis Suarez. This season will be key but his peak years should still be ahead of him.

Verdict: Jury's Out

David Beckham 

(Manchester United to Real ­Madrid, £24.5 million)

The celebrity midfielder fell foul of Sir Alex Ferguson after being integral to the club's rise to the top of English football and joined Zidane, Figo and Raul at the Bernabeu. Regardless of how he played, Beckham would have been a great transfer just because of his commercial success but he won a La Liga title and was a fan favorite. This was a feat he later repeated at Paris Saint-Germain and Los Angeles Galaxy.

Verdict: Hit

Darren Bent 

(Sunderland to Aston Villa, £24 million)

Sometime England striker Bent has become a figure of fun over the years for his limited range but he has always scored goals. Signed in January of 2011, he finished the season as Villa's joint top scorer and led the club's scoring charts the following season. He lost his place to Christian Benteke during the 2012-13 campaign but still scored six goals in just 12 starts. Bent was subsequently loaned to Fulham, Brighton and Derby County before joining the Rams ­permanently after being released by Villa this summer.

Verdict: Miss

Joleon Lescott 

(Everton to Manchester City, £22 million)

A goals coring central defender, Lescott arrived at ­Manchester City after three years at Everton as part of Sheik Mansour's initial spending spree. He made 106 league appearances in his five years at City and was key when they won the league in 2012 but ultimately struggled to establish himself as first choice for either Roberto Mancini or Manuel Pellegrini before being released. ­Currently at West Bromwich Albion.

Verdict: Jury's Out