How BR is succeeding in nurturing Raheem
Brendan Rodgers is doing a good job of nurturing the talents of Raheem Sterling, according to one of the winger's former tutors.
Andy Evans, CEO of the Queens Park Rangers Community Trust, has helped develop young players for over 20 years - and he oversaw Sterling's early development at the London club.
A near constant in the Reds' first team before Christmas last season, Sterling was then used sparingly during 2013.
And Evans believes that Rodgers and the Liverpool staff are taking the right tact in managing the 18-year-old's expectations.
"I think the manager has probably managed him quite well," said Evans.
"He will be seeing and working with him every day throughout the year and it's a big jump going from a youth player to becoming a first-team player in the Premier League at a big club.
"I'm sure Brendan and his staff will be managing his workload accordingly and that is probably why they took him out towards the end because it is difficult for a young player like that to maintain his level over the course of a whole season."
Evans knows that in the modern game, performing on the field is perhaps not the whole picture - and that off the pitch, footballers are scrutinised more than ever.
"It's not just about skill level and fitness it's also about how young players handle the media glare and everything that goes with the challenge of playing at the top level," he explained.
"It's about how they handle their life off the field as well, not just what they do out there on the park during 90 minutes but how are they coping with all the other pressures that go with that.
"It falls on the staff at those clubs who are close to them and working with them to manage that side of their development as well."
Sterling was brought to Merseyside in February 2010 by former Reds boss Rafael Benitez.
He was handed his first start in a friendly against Borussia Monchengladbach in August 2010 - and in March 2012, Kenny Dalglish introduced Sterling to first-team competitive football for the first time.
"Raheem came into the academy here at QPR and at the time the club was quite challenged financially, as it was a few years before the big takeover," said Evans.
"Liverpool came in for him with an offer the club couldn't really turn down and obviously it was a great opportunity for Raheem and his family as well.
"It was a shame we couldn't hold onto him and see him wear the blue and white hoops because it would have been great to see a real local kid go from the academy to the first team."