Raheem Sterling is a large part of the future for club and country

Brendan Rodgers stated recently that Liverpool had opened negotiations with Raheem Sterling over a new contract was on the back it reaction to paper talk suggesting the midfielder is on the radar of Real Madrid and should he not sign PSG and Chelsea are willing to increase his present salary three-fold.

Should Sterling leave the damage would be profound.  Losing Luis Suarez is bad enough, but losing a player who the club has nurtured from the age of 15 sends out signals that every player at Liverpool has his price, even one that hasn’t as yet notched up two full seasons.

Ian Ayre tied up the future of Daniel Sturridge and is in dialogue with Jordan Henderson, the club’s most improved player barring Sterling himself which sets the right tone with the club looking to hang on to its core players.  Jamie Carragher directed his comment on his Tweeter account at Sterling’s agent for unsettling the player by leaking stories saying “shut up feeding stories about his contract.”

Carragher may have a point, but one has to take into account Sterling is a serious talent attracting admiring glances from all over Europe.  It is an age where loyalty shown by Gerrard and Carragher is a thing of the past and the very top players are moving from riches into the realms of wealth.

While Brendan Rodgers and the Liverpool hierarchy would love to increase his contract incrementally, we live in the real world and market forces place the power firmly in the hands of the player.  Without the riches of Man City and Chelsea to compete with Barcelona, Real Madrid PSG in the transfer market, the choice is pay up or lose out.

After missing out so narrowly in the Premier League, Liverpool need the player focused and determined to help us remain in a Champions League position.  At nineteen, he is already a leading light for both club and country and as such has proved his worth in all currencies, especially Pound Sterling.

Criticism

The criticism levelled at the Sterling was markedly over the top following Hodgson explanation, it somewhat smacked of the manager making his statement in a fit of pique following the criticism levelled at him after the injury too Sturridge.  Sterling actually said he felt heavy legged and clarifies Brendan Rodgers words of Hodgson taking a “managerial decision.”

Raheem Sterling is a big part of Liverpool's present and future

In his interview with the Independent Rodgers said “At no point did Raheem Sterling say he didn’t want to play for England. “ He went on to say, “The boy is being hung out to dry and I dare say the criticism will continue for a few more weeks to come because of this.  The situation brings into question Hodgson managerial skills, throwing his player headlong into a baying press and failing to protect him adding more fuel to the fire in terms of a Liverpool vendetta.

Yes, he is nineteen and we all think at his age he should have energy to burn, but disappointingly what has not been factored in is the player has gone from bit part player to a leading light for club and country over the last 18 months.   The mental fatigue has to be a factor as the expectation levels have risen exponentially in such a short space of time.

Sterling is not only an explosive player, he also hard working one often dropping back to cover in the full-back positions expounding a great deal more energy than the average attacking player. 

Bearing in mind that this is a Liverpool team with a game is based on pressing with a porous midfield he is relied upon to track back which the likes Messi do not.  Critics use Messi as the standard bearer stating that when he was nineteen he never felt tired, but Messi has a team built around him to do the defending.

Build a Liverpool midfield which allows Sterling more leeway in terms of not having him not having defend as much and we may see an even more destructive player and a less tired one too.