BR confident on birthday boy deal
On the day Raheem Sterling celebrates his 18th birthday, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has declared his confidence that the young talent will commit his future to the Reds by signing a new contract.
The forward has been a revelation in 2012-13, establishing himself as a regular in the boss' starting XI and being rewarded for his performances with a senior England appearance at just 17.
And the Northern Irishman believes the best place for Sterling to realise his full potential is with the Reds - and talks should conclude positively in the near future.
"There are good conversations and there's no worry or concern - it'll be resolved," Rodgers explained.
"I'm comfortable with it. I've spoken to the agent and I know the agent so there's no problem. It's just one of these things that will get done.
"There has been some time issues as his representatives were out of the country. There's been a lot made of it but there's still 18 months left.
"He's a young kid and we just want to make sure that everything's right for him to be nurtured. I've always tried to ensure that I give my point of view on it. A lot of this is about common sense.
"I don't want the club or the kid being affected by over-the-odds demands. I think there's a value I see in a young player that hasn't achieved anything. All the figures that get bandied about for kids these days, it can destroy them.
"I'm in the business of trying to help nurture these kids, and money distorts the reality. Contracts can get handed out to a kid who's not done anything.
"They get a four-year deal on decent money and then clubs wonder why in two or three years it's gone wrong. It's gone wrong because when you've given him a four-year deal, you take away his hunger.
"It's about being sensible, and that's what we do. Ian Ayre does a brilliant job in pulling the contracts together. He's been excellent and obviously there's good communication with the owners."
Having made his maiden appearance for the club as a substitute under Kenny Dalglish, the 18-year-old's development has intensified since the arrival of Rodgers as manager during the summer.
The forward has been used on 23 occasions, grabbing one goal along the way, and the boss insisted that progress can continue with an individual plan for Sterling in the coming years.
Rodgers revealed: "I've gone through what I'd call the core elements of his development.
"First and foremost, there's the commitment from us as a club to him, and likewise from him to us. Then after that we've talked about the plan and the development going forward.
"It's then his responsibility to deliver because he'll have all the tools here at Liverpool Football Club, one of the top football clubs in the world, in order to progress.
"But that's the responsibility of the player. We as a staff are on our toes to make him better and then hopefully from that we'll get excellence.
"There's a plan in place for him - there's a commitment there, and he's a real good kid. He's quite low profile really.
"We just want to make sure it's right for him and he feels it and I believe he does. It'll get done sooner or later."
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