Sterling proving his worth

Liverpool 1 Reading 0

The winger, 17, impressed throughout the age groups since arriving from QPR in 2010 and the clamour for him to be allowed to bring some life into the Liverpool side grew and grew under Kenny Dalglish last season.

The clip of Rodgers chiding the youngster for saying “steady” to the manager on a pre-season trip to the United States added weight to those that like to smirk at the Irishman’s proclamations and methods.

But the reality is that Sterling, who only turns 18 in December, is looking like the hottest youth product in a decade for a club that has continually churned out Jay Spearing but rarely come up with first-teamers, let alone Steven Gerrards and Jamie Carraghers.

Exhibiting blistering pace and threatening every single time he drifts in from the left flank, Sterling has already made 11 appearances this season. Crucially he became the club’s second youngest Premier League goal-scorer after Michael Owen when he scored the only goal to give Rodgers a first Anfield win at the weekend.

But despite the youngster’s importance to the Liverpool side, Rodgers maintains he is still looking long-term for the winger.

“He’s still got an awful long way to go. We want to have him here as a legend for many years,” Rodgers said.

“We don’t want him at 17 years of age getting carried away with all the adulation and then at 21 he’s washed up and everyone wants him out. The biggest thing with me is just maintaining the hunger that he’s got now because you see when he’s got that, and he’s learning and developing, that he can be a really top player.

“It’s a long way to go for him but at the moment he’s been a revelation. What’s very important is that I always offer the players the carrot. There’s no one in this world who responds to being beaten with a stick.

“I don’t care what industry you’re in, whether it’s football or whatever, but he is that type who likes you to be direct, he likes to be told. He is a great boy and he handles everything about the situation really well. He’s 17 years of age but I deal with him the best I possibly can.”

It seems so long ago that Gerrard, all low hairline and growing pains, broke through under Gerard Houllier.

Now 32, Gerrard has watched the youngster develop but, after being joined by Sterling in the England squad in September, even he has been impressed by the progress of the teenage wide-man.

Gerrard said: “I don’t think anyone expected him to break through so early. We always knew he would be good enough to play for the first team, but when they are young and small, sometimes you take a little bit of extra care and ease them through towards the end of a season.

“But the manager has come in, seen what he has done in pre-season and said: ‘yes he’s ready now’ and he’s given Raheem his chance.

“He hasn’t let anyone down. He has been sensational so far. When you don’t play well and the manager keeps picking you, he is telling you that you are ready for this level and that you are going to be here for a long, long time, so get out and do your stuff and he has been brilliant for us.”

Sterling’s performance has been one of few highlights in a tough start for Rodgers, who acknowledges that his team’s finishing must improve.

They beat Norwich 5-2 last month and drew 2-2 with Manchester City at the start of the season but other than that they have not scored more than once in the league on any other occasion.

Sterling made the breakthrough with a firm cross-shot from a Luis Suarez flick after half an hour but even though they secured three points, the goal-scoring problems created undue anxiety late in the game.

Reading captain Jobi McAnuff insists he understands Jason Roberts’ decision not to wear a ‘Kick it out’ T-shirt during the warm-up and was frustrated at the criticism, which has also come from Alex Ferguson, aimed at the veteran striker.

He said: “Other managers have got involved... for people that don’t know the inside and the background, it was out of order to comment but it’s a story now and I’m sure it will rumble on.”

LIVERPOOL: Jones 7; Wisdom 8, Skrtel 7, Agger 7, Johnson 8; Allen 6, Gerard 7, Sahin 6 (Shelvey 63, 7); Sterling 9 (Henderson 85), Suarez, Suso 6 (Enrique 75).

Subs not used: Gulacsi, Carragher, Downing, Assaidi.

READING: McCarthy 7; Cummings 5, Mariappa 7, Gorkks 6, Shorey 7; McAnuff 8, Leigertwood 6, Karacan 6 (McCleary 25, 7), Guthrie 7 (Roberts 81), Kebe 6 ; Pogrebnyak 5 (Le Fondre 75).

Subs not used: Taylor, Gunter, Pearce, Robson-Kanu.