Rodgers: Lay off Sterling

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has leapt to the defence of Raheem Sterling, but insists there is no club versus country row between him and England manager Roy Hodgson.

The 19-year-old forward has found himself pilloried in the last week after Hodgson revealed the youngster had told him he was tired ahead of the Euro 2016 qualifier in Estonia.

Sterling was left out of the team for that match, coming off the bench to win the free-kick from which Wayne Rooney scored the only goal, which led to accusations he had said he did not want to play.