Anfield skipper warns about pressure on England starlet…
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has revealed that the pressure placed on teammate Raheem Sterling by the club and the England national side will eventually get to him.
Reports in the Daily Express quote the Reds skipper, who compares the focus on the teenager’s performances to that of when Wayne Rooney first broke into the Three Lions squad.
Sterling has become the focal point of Roy Hodgson’s England side after an impressive performance at the World Cup this summer.
And former England captain Gerrard, who retired from international duty after Brazil, hopes the media attention on the 19-year-old doesn’t distract him.
Sterling has already come in for criticism this season after claiming to be tired, and Gerrard, who spoke to the press about Wayne Rooney’s 100th cap also expressed his concerns about the teenage forward.
“It is almost a compliment to Wayne because he is so good and the press know on his day he is a world-class player who can create magical moments,” he said.
“It is only normal he is getting all the attention. Wayne has had it for years but he has handled it well. But I think maybe our country is guilty of putting too much pressure and spotlight on any one individual.
“You start to see similar things now with Raheem Sterling. It has always been the way; the media and punters try to grasp onto that one hero and hope he is going to be the person who makes everyone happy at a major tournament.”