Brendan Rodgers reveals how he kept Raheem Sterling at Liverpool on £2,000 per week

Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed how he managed to keep Raheem Sterling on £2,000-a-week despite him already playing for England.

The Celtic manager rose Sterling through the ranks at Anfield after he joined the Reds as a youngster from QPR and managed to keep him on a developmental contract even after he had broken into the Liverpool first team as a teenager.

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He did get a new contract soon enough before he eventually left for better money at Manchester City after reaching an impasse with Liverpool over another new deal.

And Rodgers said that he now thinks the huge amount of money on offer to younger players often “distorts reality” and can end up having a negative impact on their careers.

Rodgers said: “There is one common denominator when it comes to young players falling by the wayside - money.

“It distorts reality, it changes people. I'm always cautious of that.

“I had Raheem Sterling playing for England and a regular in the Liverpool first team on £2000 per week.

“I couldn't do it any longer than about the November time because he was absolutely brilliant, so we had to get him on a different contract. But I stretched it out as long as I could.”

Rodgers now feels a more “patient” approach is the best one to take with young, up-and-coming players and wait until they prove themselves worthy of the increase in pay.

“With young players, one, they have to earn it and, two, you don't go overboard with them because they have played a couple of good games,” he added.

“Stay calm. See how consistent and professional they are, and if they are doing well they will always get rewarded. Let them get some games in their legs and go from there.”