England boss Thomas Tuchel said he is "sad to see" former international Raheem Sterling's current plight.
Sterling, who won 82 caps for England between 2012 and 2022, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and possession of nitrous oxide.
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The 31-year-old signed for Chelsea from Manchester City during Tuchel's time as coach at Stamford Bridge in 2022.
"I have a lot of sympathy for him and I feel that he has struggled ever since he left Man City and he was at the peak of his career," the German coach said on Friday.
"I was fighting for this transfer and he could never prove the importance that he normally had. It was a big step for him at that moment in time.
"It's sad to see that someone struggles because he was a devoted father for his children and he was a family guy, a nice guy to be around.
"It just seems that he goes through a difficult period. I'm not sure how much is his fault, sometimes you just enter a strange spiral in your life, a downward spiral.
"Thoughts are with him of course, the belief is always that he can turn it around and I wish him the best."
After falling out of favour at Chelsea, Sterling spent the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Arsenal.
Sterling joined Dutch club Feyenoord on a short-term deal until the end of last season, and is currently without a club.
PA contributed to this report