Feyenoord forced to meet three strict conditions before Raheem Sterling can play

Feyenoord are forced to meet three strict conditions before Raheem Sterling can make his debut for the club after signing the England international.

After a long period out in limbo at Chelsea, where he was placed in the club's 'bomb squad' and forced to train by himself, Sterling finally reached a mutual agreement which saw his reported £350,000-a-week contract terminated.

Chelsea confirmed the termination in an official statement, allowing Sterling to move on a free transfer. He did just that, joining Dutch side Feyenoord on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

But Sterling has been left frustrated after being unable to play or even train with his new teammates due to work permit complications.

He was in the stands at De Kuip to watch Feyenoord pick up a 1-0 win over Go Ahead Eagles at the weekend. However, his first involvement for the Rotterdam outfit continues to be delayed as GOV.UK states that UK citizens require a work permit in order to be able to work in EU countries.

Unlike players within the EEA and Switzerland where they are not restricted, a player's work permit must be approved and there are conditions which must be met in order to get the green light.

Sterling is not yet able to make his Feyenoord debut. Image: Getty

According to information from an article published by everaert.nl, the player in question must be "active in either the highest (Eredivisie, ED) or second highest tier (Keuken Kampioen Divisie, KKD) of Dutch professional football".

In addition, the salary earned by the player must be "in accordance with the relevant market levels" and there is evidence that they have "participated on a regular basis in a competition that is at least of the same level as the ED".

Sterling more than fits the criteria with 577 matches at senior level and 82 caps for England, as well as 123 goals in the Premier League.

But the four-time Premier League winner is still being left to wait in the same way that former teammate Jordan Henderson had to sit on the sidelines.

After his brief stint in Saudi Arabia came to an end, Henderson signed for Ajax but the Amsterdam giants had to apply for a work permit.

Sterling has signed a short-term deal with the Dutch giants. Image: Getty

Feyenoord's Sterling loophole

Henderson had to wait two weeks after signing before he could take to the pitch and went on to captain Ajax before returning to England.

Despite the difficulties Feyenoord are exploiting a loophole in the system as they will train in Belgium, where they are no such rules in place, to benefit Sterling.

Manager Robin van Persie shed light on the situation, explaining: “That’s allowed abroad. We’re doing it for him, but I also want to work on our team development. We can have some good conversations and do something fun together.

“He’ll start training the day after tomorrow. We’ll see each week when he’s fit for a match. That will take some time, but that seems logical to me, since he hasn’t played for six months.”

Feyenoord return to action on Sunday when the host Telstar in the Eredivisie.