da betsul： Since first making his debut in the Premier League as a fresh-faced 17-year-old back in 2012, Raheem Sterling has certainly paid witness to some widespread attention from the English footballing community throughout his brief career.
da luck： Everyone from fans, pundits, managers and the media seem to have had a great deal to say about the Jamaican-born England international during his time at Anfield – and as the 20-year-old has reportedly turned down close to £100,000 a week at Liverpool upon the end of his current contract – such speculation surrounding the player isn’t likely to cease any time soon.
And maybe that’s unfair. Sterling himself has the right to make his own decisions about his future of course. He has performed far better than most expected upon initially joining up with the Reds, and it must be difficult having almost every footballing voice in the country telling him what he should be doing with his life – regardless of how much money is on the table.
In turning down such a generous offer from a club as prestigious as Liverpool however, it seems actions ultimately speak louder than words.
With all things considered throughout all of this, could it in-fact be argued that the loss of Raheem Sterling wouldn’t actually be that bad for the Anfield faithful, or does his seemingly impending departure simply signal a backwards step for the Reds going into the new campaign?
Well, obviously the Liverpool no. 31 has to go down as a pretty special talent in the modern game, and therefore someone Brendan Rodgers will not want to see the back of in a hurry. Sterling’s level of ability really is impressive for a player of his age – and in displaying such sheer confidence out on the pitch on an almost week-to-week basis – his contributions have certainly made Liverpool into a stronger outfit in recent seasons.
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That much simply can’t be argued with.
However, Raheem Sterling still must be categorised as a player with promising potential rather than the finished article. Pundits in this country have a tendency to over-hype home-grown English talent which inevitably sets such players up for dramatic falls later on in their careers. Michael Owen has already labelled the young Liverpool talent as a better player than Arsenal’s World Cup winner Mesut Ozil – which with all due respect – is the kind of attitude that must be seen in a rather embarrassing light throughout the rest of Europe.
No doubt Sterling is a top player, but he certainly still has a long way to go. All too often the Liverpool no. 31 lacks vision across the pitch when running into trouble, he simply goes down far too easy in and around the box, and as many young players within world football experience rapid progress in their early careers, the England international’s experience really hasn’t been anything new.
If such a player doesn’t see Anfield as the place to continue his growth and develop into an even better prospect in the foreseeable future – not to mention being offered a shed load of money to do so – then Liverpool simply have to cut their losses with this guy. The club may have been largely disappointing across the Premier League era, yet as the Reds still weigh in as one of the most respected and important teams in English footballing history – no single player can ever be seen to be bigger than Liverpool Football Club.
Perhaps Raheem Sterling needs a reality check before officially burning his bridges with Brendan Rodgers’ side. European powerhouses such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich simply have better players than him already on their books at the moment, the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City operate largely on their financially boosted status rather than on history alone, and maybe he even owes Liverpool a certain debt for giving him his chance in the first place.
As the up and coming youngster is merely just another fish in a sea of further widespread talent and quality across the board however, Liverpool fans ultimately must not threat if Raheem Sterling turns out for a new team next season.
Brendan Rodgers simply doesn’t need characters on board who don’t understand what his club means to English football – regardless of the undisputed potential that may be on offer.
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