Liverpool FC Forum

His contract ends in 2014, same goes for Robinson, Kelly, Morgan and Agger. Hopefully the club doesn't leave it to the last minute just like they did with McManaman and Owen. Hoping to see those 5 players sign a long term contract with Liverpool.

If he becomes half as good as a certain Jamaican we used to have on the wing, then we'll see some exciting times again.

called up to the senior england squad as cover.

he's england's saviour 

Not suprised really, when Walcot is his competition Raheem has both speed and skill, unlike Captain Walcott - It also ties him down to England, I heard Jamaica were trying to get him to play for them too.

Just hope they dont burn the kid out  and hope this is done as a sign of intent for the future as opposed to a regular thing.

yeah i think the jamaica interest has something to do with it. it's purely for the experience. he's not actually going to play in a million years.

He will, otherwise he wont be capped, and then would still be in contention for Jamaica, it will more than likely be 5 minutes at the end though.

Just hope he doesnt come on with 5 minutes to go and scores, press will go wild and heap expectation on him, Im pretty sure about a week ago Rodgers was begging the FA to select him for the u19's so he kept grounded!! - Now a full call up - bet Rodgers is fuming!

Steady there Mr Rodgers

My sense is he is immature and needs to be nurtured or he will develop too much ego and be hard to manage.

on a wider point though, his call up just proves how difficult the england manager's job is in terms of the player pool he has to pick from.

the league has a lot to answer for but at the end of the day the premier league couldn't give a monkeys about the england national team.

This kid has excited more in a month than Downing did in a year. He has the bravery to go with his obvious talent. Slightly worried that England is too much way too soon and also many players who blossomed early (Owen, Fowler etc) didn't have the longevity. In the longterm, Raheem and Oxo are England's future.

I am not that impressed by Cleverly at all btw. Can't see him keeping his place Longterm for either club or country.

I'm rather unhappy that he's been called up. I'd love to see many Liverpool players dominate a successful England team no doubt but I feel it's way too soon, and with BR just warning him about his attitude during pre-season, all the hype might get to his head.

Also, we've seen very often players of Sterling's caliber, such as Walcott and Lennon, similar players at the very least, hit the scene with such impact but end up going on a downward slope by the time they reach 25 or 26.

On top of that, the last thing we would want is an injury to a player who could very well be one of the few positives for the season.

However, from England's perspective, calling him up was more or less about making sure he doesn't play for Jamaica, rather than wanting him to play a role in the set-up.

stmichael » Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:55 pm wrote:on a wider point though, his call up just proves how difficult the england manager's job is in terms of the player pool he has to pick from.

the league has a lot to answer for but at the end of the day the premier league couldn't give a monkeys about the england national team.

The problem with the English national team has as much to do with British players' reluctance to move abroad and get experience in other leagues as it has with the influx of foreign players into this league.

Beckham, Owen, Joe Cole and now Joey Barton are the only high profile English players to play abroad since the early-mid 90s when you had Gazza, Ince, Platt and Des Walker in Serie A and Waddle at Marseille.  It's a joke really.  I'm not counting Hargreaves because let's be honest he's as English as other those other great British sportsmen Greg Rusedski and Lennox Lewis!

Look at someone like Adam Johnson for example, doesn't work out at City and no big clubs show a serious enough interest so he runs back to his hometown club with tail between legs.  Have a bit of ambition and go to another league abroad, get some experience and come back a better player to a bigger club and hopefully able to make an impact in the National team.  He's only one example, there are many more.

Look at the Spanish, they have the best team and league in the world yet you've had Fabregas, Torres, Alonso, Reina, Mata, Silva and now Cazorla trying their luck in the Premiership.  Has money got something to do with that?  Of course it has, but at the same time they all had the balls to give it a go.  What is it with English players?

Back to Sterling though, agree with St Mick's earlier post, this has clearly got something to do with his eligibility for Jamaica.  I honestly wouldn't be shocked if they capped him in the Ukraine game if they're a few goals up, but agree it's most likely he's been brought for experience and to convince him that's where his allegiance should lie.

I'd rather Raheem play for England than see him get the six shades of hell kicked out of him in CONCACAF.  He'd not be a large featuring player for England yet.  In the Jamaican team he'd have a much more prominent role.  Plus the travel, Na, Play for England Raheem.

He is still young enough to play for the u18's.

Too much, too soon.