Raheem Sterling was touted with a move to the Championship before the season started in order to give the winger some experience in a competitive league. This didn’t happen, though, and Brendan Rodgers will be extremely pleased with the risk he took implementing him as one of the main Liverpool attacking options in the first team. The 19-year-old rewarded him with nine goals and five assists in his 34 Premier League games, helping the Reds finish second, and has expressed his excitement to play in the Champions League next season.
For me though, he must step it up a notch.
This season was a sublime one for the 19-year-old, but next year will be a lot tougher for him, for a number of reasons.
Firstly, players will be making it more difficult for him to play freely as they are more aware of him as a threat. I wouldn’t be surprised if full-backs went through him a bit harder or looked to frustrate him in games, due to his incredible talent.
Secondly, Liverpool’s fixture list will be a lot busier next time round. It can be hard for a young player to sustain form over a long season and he will need to dig deep.
Lastly, the Champions League will be the ultimate test for him. He will be up against the best defenders in Europe and will have to move up a gear to stand out on the big stage.
The World Cup will surely help him in this respect.