Raheem Sterling, the Liverpool winger, has been backed to secure a place in England’s World Cup squad by Steven Gerrard, his captain for club and country, so long as he maintains the current performances that are seeing him evolve into a “frightening talent”.
Sterling, 19, has recently recaptured the promising form that proved the catalyst for his surge to prominence at Anfield last season as well as earn a first - and, to date, only - England cap in November 2012 against Sweden.
He found himself on the periphery for both club and country in the current campaign’s early months after a dip in form but, after re-establishing himself as a Liverpool regular since December, he is now poised for a recall to the England squad for next month’s friendly with Denmark as Roy Hodgson, the national team manager, searches for a replacement for the injured Theo Walcott.
“He has been in great form over the last couple of months and I’m sure Roy Hodgson is watching him very closely,” Gerrard said.
“The performance against Arsenal a fortnight ago [Sterling scored two goals in the 5-1 victory] was unbelievable from a guy of that age. I was just disappointed that he didn’t go on and get his hat-trick.
“His form of late has been sensational and if he continues that until the end of the season, we will see him at the World Cup.”
With his pace and penetrative play Sterling, Gerrard says, has precisely the attributes to terrorise opposition defences. All that he needs to master now is consistency.
“I said to him before we played Everton [and won 4-0]: “Put yourself in the full back’s position - what doesn’t he want? He doesn’t want you to keep running at him.
“He was relentless. He kept going and going. He gave the Everton full backs a torrid afternoon and he did it to Arsenal. Now he just has to get that consistency in his game. If he gets that consistency, he is going to be a frightening talent.”
Gerrard has a reputation as a lionhearted leader who relishes the physical challenge, so his admission that Sterling is “the toughest in our squad” at Anfield - “I don’t go near him in training because if I do, there is only one winner” - is a little surprising.
“He just needs to keep learning and listening to Brendan Rodgers [the Liverpool manager] and the experienced players in the dressing room and believing in himself,” Gerrard said.
“If he does that, he’ll be all right.”
Sterling, 19, has recently recaptured the promising form that proved the catalyst for his surge to prominence at Anfield last season as well as earn a first - and, to date, only - England cap in November 2012 against Sweden.
He found himself on the periphery for both club and country in the current campaign’s early months after a dip in form but, after re-establishing himself as a Liverpool regular since December, he is now poised for a recall to the England squad for next month’s friendly with Denmark as Roy Hodgson, the national team manager, searches for a replacement for the injured Theo Walcott.
“He has been in great form over the last couple of months and I’m sure Roy Hodgson is watching him very closely,” Gerrard said.
“The performance against Arsenal a fortnight ago [Sterling scored two goals in the 5-1 victory] was unbelievable from a guy of that age. I was just disappointed that he didn’t go on and get his hat-trick.
“His form of late has been sensational and if he continues that until the end of the season, we will see him at the World Cup.”
With his pace and penetrative play Sterling, Gerrard says, has precisely the attributes to terrorise opposition defences. All that he needs to master now is consistency.
“I said to him before we played Everton [and won 4-0]: “Put yourself in the full back’s position - what doesn’t he want? He doesn’t want you to keep running at him.
“He was relentless. He kept going and going. He gave the Everton full backs a torrid afternoon and he did it to Arsenal. Now he just has to get that consistency in his game. If he gets that consistency, he is going to be a frightening talent.”
Gerrard has a reputation as a lionhearted leader who relishes the physical challenge, so his admission that Sterling is “the toughest in our squad” at Anfield - “I don’t go near him in training because if I do, there is only one winner” - is a little surprising.
“He just needs to keep learning and listening to Brendan Rodgers [the Liverpool manager] and the experienced players in the dressing room and believing in himself,” Gerrard said.
“If he does that, he’ll be all right.”
