RAHEEM STERLING has joined an elite group of English players after scoring his hat-trick against Atalanta on Tuesday night.

The Manchester City winger, 24, has been in fine form in 2019 and has now scored 35 goals in the calendar year — the same as Lionel Messi and more than Cristiano Ronaldo.

He is the first Englishman to score a hat-trick in the Champions League since Harry Kane bagged three against Apoel in Cyprus in September 2017.

Sterling has had a stellar 2019 so far — and is on course for a 40+ goal haul in 2019 — not forgetting the 19 assists he has this year.

His efforts in the 5-1 win have helped fire City to the top of Group C, with a 100 per cent record for Guardiola's side, who are among the favourites to win this year's Champions League.

Guardiola said after the game: "His physicality is incredible. He is strong – the day after the game, he could play another game – his regeneration is incredible.

"He can play both sides and he is fast so, defensively, he helps us a lot. He is an extraordinary, extraordinary player."

There are some unexpected names on the list of English players to score three in Europe's top competition, not least Blackburn Rovers' Mike Newell, who became the first.

He bagged three in the then Premier League winners' 4-1 victory over Rosenborg in December 1995.

Danny Welbeck is also one of the names on the list, when he netted a treble for Arsenal against Galatasaray in October 2014.

While no Englishman has ever scored three in the knock-out stages of the competition in its modern format, Alan Shearer took the match ball home after beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 at St James' Park in February 2003.

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