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News Raheem Sterling would push for a move away from Anfield this summer has dominated conversation for Liverpool fans ever since it broke on Monday night. With the best young English player in the game agitating for a change of scenery, it’s been rather a major talking point for everyone else, too, and Sky were no different, devoting much of their post-match coverage on Monday night to the Sterling situation.
First came the facts, the reiteration of reports from the player’s camp that Sterling believes the club has tried to bully him in negotiations and, as part of that, not protected him against a media backlash—never mind most of that backlash followed on from Sterling’s ill-considered interview with the BBC earlier in the year. Then came ex-Red Jamie Carragher, who was less than pleased by the developments and said so in no uncertain terms.
"Speaking of the leaks, those started with the agent," said an obviously annoyed Carragher. "I know there’s things, them trying to put pressure on Liverpool to try to do a deal or sell him. I know Raheem, he’s a great young kid. If there’s one thing he needs to change it’s his agent. For a 20-year-old kid to be taking on Liverpool like this over a contract, to the pit of my stomach that just winds me up—it angers me."
Carragher also slammed Sterling for his individual poor performances against Aston Villa in the FA Cup, taking issue with the idea Sterling might want to move on for the sake of a better chance at silverware when better play from Sterling himself this season might have seen him holding some. Sterling might always have been destined to move on from Liverpool some day, but it’s clear Carragher thinks he’s nowhere near ready to yet.
"If he wants to win trophies, he has to be able to deliver in big games, and he hasn’t done that," said the former centre half. "Keep your moth shut and get on with playing football. You’ll maybe move on in years to come, but how will he be thought of the rest of his career now? You have to think about how you’ll be thought of, not just your talent, and it’s time his agent stopped leaking stories and talking about the club leaking stories."
