Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson thinks that Raheem Sterling has gone too far to be able to turn his Anfield career around.
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BBC Sport reported earlier in the week that the 20-year-old will not be signing a new deal with us, and would like to leave the club, despite having another two years left on his current contract.
The revelation was the culmination of a season-long saga that has seen the winger turn down a deal worth £100,000 a week, the BBC reported last month. Lawrenson believes that the rhetoric coming from Sterling and his agent Aidy Ward suggests that he wants another challenge, according to the Liverpool Echo.
“Let’s face it, amid all the chatter from Sterling and his agent, there have been enough chances for the player to say he wants to stay. It’s clear he doesn’t.” he said.
The pundit thinks that the criticism has come the former Queens Park Rangers trainee’s way because of how he has handled the situation, and cited a high-profile departure from last summer in comparison.
“The mistake that’s been made is he hasn’t come out and said the reason he wants to leave is because he wants to play Champions League,” he explained.
“If he’d done that, fans would not be overly impressed but at least they’d understand it better. That, after all, is what Suarez wanted,” he added.
Lawrenson suggests that losing a player of his calibre would be a shame, however he does not believe that the youngster has the potential to be classed as one of the best.
“The bottom line here, though, is I don’t believe Sterling is ever going to be a top, top player,” Lawrenson said.
“He’s a fine player. He has lots of potential. He has plenty of pace and he is very strong.
“But he hasn’t got a trick,” he added.
Sterling’s lack of honesty has been very frustrating all concerned and has left many fans rightly exasperated. Our club gave the player his chance, and helped him become an England international. He owes us an explanation, as while the writing appears to be on the wall, a question mark remains over whether Raheem Sterling has any chance of salvaging a Liverpool future.