Raheem Sterling: A misguided teenager

Despite a lacklustre season from Liverpool Raheem Sterling has shown signs of life

In the past 24 hours there has been considerable talk speculating about Raheem Sterling, 20, with a move away from Anfield after his agent’s comments on the Jamaican-born English midfielder not wanting to sign a new contract.

But, I ask, where would he go if he were to leave Anfield? He has a variety of clubs who have been linked with the pacey-winger from all corners of Europe such as Juventus, Manchester City, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and there was even talk at one stage last season of Real Madrid wanting him.

In my opinion, he should take up an option abroad, away from the Premier League, to get his feet on the ground and to experience something not many English footballers have the bottle to do and prove to all the doubters in the English press that he has what it takes to become the best.

He is a fantastic footballer who warrants and deserves domestic and personal success, but his problem is the money that is being thrown at him, and all of it getting to his head. Obviously, it isn’t his fault in the slightest that all these ludicrous earnings a week are being thrown in his direction, but when you are still not legally allowed to drink and gamble in the USA, you tend to need an agent that is going to do the best thing for you, and not advise and guide you wrongly.

This is happening right now. His agent is not doing his best for his client by advising him to an open interview about his contract situation, which I thought he came across level-headed in, and then to come out and tell the media he wants out of Liverpool is quite frankly shambolic on his agent, Aidy Ward’s behalf.

After all this talk about his move away is he even good enough to play for a club who are situated better than Liverpool? In the interview I previously mentioned he claims that he isn’t a ‘money-grabbing teenager’, and in fact he just wants to ‘win as many trophies as possible’ but after this season, he’s portrayed himself as a run-of-the-mill overrated, average English player.

I’m not arguing the fact that he has potential, as last season I was one of his biggest fans, but this season, with the loss of the SAS (Sturridge and Suarez) he just hasn’t been hitting the peaks of last season. And, on his behalf, I am taking in the fact that he has been played out of position a lot this season to cover for an immature Balotelli, but that’s a different story.

If he were to end up at Manchester City, and I’m just speculating, could he emulate what he did, in Liverpool’s golden team of 13-14, behind Aguero? When a team in general is playing well and you are not the centre-of-attention I believe that it’s much easier to go out and play your normal game.

If Raheem does decide to stay in England I believe that his best bet is to join up with Aguero and co. at City as he will not be the centre-of-attention (after a while) and all of City’s problems and misfortunes will be blamed on another scapegoat of the English media such as Kompany, Joe Hart or Yaya Toure (if he is still there).

Also, with the likes of Jesus Navas, Samir Nasri and James Milner the preferred choice of wingers/wide midfield players if he could manage to emulate last season’s form and better it, he must be a shoe-in for playing in the position he truly loves and flourishes in.

Overall, if Sterling were to part company with Liverpool FC, it will be a great shame as Brendan Rodgers has taken him under his wing and nurtured him to the best he can possibly do, and by Sterling leaving he isn’t just doing the dirty on the Kop he’s doing it to Rodgers too, who has always stuck up for him whatever situation he found himself in with the media and not many managers will do that continuously.

But, if it’s genuinely for titles and trophies and not money, good riddance to him.