by C-R » Mon Oct 06, 2014 9:52 am
Liverpool close to tying Raheem Sterling to new contract at Anfield ( By Chris Bascombe 10:30PM BST 05 Oct 2014)
Negotiations between player's representatives and Liverpool to begin in the next two weeks with clause in original agreement set to trigger new talks
Raheem Sterling is on the verge of activating a new Liverpool contract, with negotiations between his club and representatives taking place in the next fortnight.
Sterling, who created the winning goal for Jordan Henderson in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory against West Bromwich Albion, signed his last deal in 2012 into which a clause was inserted triggering fresh discussions once the teenager made his 90th appearance for the club.
Sterling played his 87th Liverpool game on Saturday but Ian Ayre, the chief executive, made an initial approach to the player’s agents two weeks ago and a meeting will be held early shortly.
Brendan Rodgers said there was an eagerness from all parties – the club, the player and his representatives – to create a framework ensuring Sterling is rewarded as his career progresses.
Indeed, Rodgers is “adamant” that Sterling is keen to stay at Anfield, while any suggestion Liverpool have been stalling regarding a new contract is invalidated by the clause in his current deal. That explains why there has been such a relaxed attitude to the situation.
Following recent adverse publicity, Rodgers felt compelled to praise Sterling’s representatives because he believes the matter is being handled professionally.
“Ian Ayre has spoken with his representatives and he is quite relaxed,” Rodgers said.
“The club is dealing with the agent so everything is calm and the boy is remarkably happy here and there are no secondary thoughts about anything else other than continuing to play for Liverpool.
“Also, he wants to continue with his development because he still has a lot of growth and for that the best place for him to be is here. His representatives respect that and the club respects that. So that will get sorted out in time.”
Asked if Sterling has given the impression he wants to stay, Rodgers was emphatic. “Yes. Absolutely adamant,” he said. “I don’t think there is anything other than that. His agent is a good agent and he understands this is the perfect place for him.”
After his blistering start to the season, Sterling has endured some difficult moments over the last few weeks – not least in Basle last week.
The youngster also missed the kind of opportunity he would normally guzzle up at the weekend, but Rodgers was quick to point out the teenager never fails to contribute, even when his wizardry is not always at its most eye-catching.
“It’s tough for him,” Rodgers said. “I’ve been trying to protect the kid not just from performances but from headlines. People try to write him off because he’s tired, but he put in an incredible shift in this game.
"He’s going to have good games and he is going to have games where he is not going to set the world alight but one thing about Raheem is that he will always give 100 per cent.”
Such perseverance was the hallmark of a Liverpool victory based on tenacity rather than fluency, but several grades up from what they have been producing in the last few weeks. Adam Lallana ran the first half and put Liverpool ahead.
The imperious Henderson – such a description is increasingly common now – repeated the trick in the second. Referee Michael Oliver had threatened to leave his mark on the fixture when he mistakenly awarded a penalty for Dejan Lovren’s foul on Saido Berahino outside the box, converted by the West Brom striker.
Mario Balotelli was left out for Rickie Lambert, but both those strikers will see Daniel Sturridge’s eventual return as a help rather than threat to their place. Neither is suited to a lone forward role. Balotelli’s cameo was quite encouraging, assisted during the last 20 minutes by Steven Gerrard reacquainting himself with the No 10 position he filled with such aplomb in 2009.
Liverpool moved from being anxious to composed in possession. It was a waltz down memory lane by the captain, and a sign that while the manager intends persevering with Gerrard in the deeper ‘controlling’ role at the start of fixtures, he reserves the right to relocate him during periods of heavy midfield bombardment.
Gerrard still has the capacity to make strikers look better than they are. Ask Fernando Torres.
“For people playing alongside Steven Gerrard it’s a privilege,” Rodgers said. “He is world class and makes the game look simple. Mario knows he is playing with one of the greats of the game. Steven can feed a guy who needs certain types of passes.
“If I was to be asked about the profession of football and define a footballer, it would be Steven Gerrard in every capacity; how he trains, how he works, how he handles everything, the respect he shows for his manager, how he performs, humility in everything he does.”
Alan Irvine, whose side look more likely to compete for the top 10 than repeat last year’s relegation scrap, agreed.
“Anybody that says his legs have gone needs to have a look at how he chased Cristian Gamboa down the wing and he stayed with him,” Irvine said. “He is a great player, has been for many years and will continue to be.”
from 43 a week to 125 is an awful jump for a young lad who imo doesnt deserve it as he still has a way to go. 80k would have been better and leaves room for renegotiation in about 18 months.
by jonnymac1979 » Mon Jun 21, 2004 6:48 pm