Phil Neville has told Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling to ‘shut up’ and concentrate on football…
Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling has been told that he and his advisors should ‘shut up’, by former Manchester United coach and Everton captain Phil Neville.
SEE MORE:
Bournemouth vs Liverpool Live Streaming & League Cup Match Preview
Napoli Set to Sack former Liverpool Boss Rafa Benitez
Liverpool Flop Mario Balotelli Slammed By QPR Misfit Adel Taarabt
Neville, who is quoted by the Guardian, believes that the 20-year-old, who recently turned down a contract offer worth £70,000-a-week, needs to get back to concentrating on his performances.
The Reds star was part of the team beaten 3-0 by Manchester United on Sunday, and was guilty of missing three clear chances. After the game, Neville explained why talk of pay rises and a potential move to Real Madrid are proving a distraction.
He told reporters: “If I was Brendan Rodgers, I would be sitting Raheem Sterling down today. It’s a great lesson for younger players: I keep reading about how Raheem Sterling wants a new contract, maybe Real Madrid want to buy him.
“If you want a new contract, and you want to go to Real Madrid, the best way to get that move or that contract is to go out and score a hat-trick at Old Trafford like he should have done on Sunday.
“I keep saying I think Raheem Sterling is a brilliant talent, a wonderful player, but I think he needs to sit down with his agent and say ‘you do your job on the contract, I’ll do my job on the field’ because in football, it’s on the field where you’ve got to start doing your job.
“At such a young age, he’s got to be distracted [by the contract talks]. He’s come off a wonderful season last year, he played brilliantly at the World Cup and then he’s come back and all of a sudden there’s extra pressure on because he’s not being talked about for his footballing ability.
“He’s being talked about because of his contract situation and how much money he wants, how he’s turned down offers, how Real Madrid want him. These are things not being put out by Liverpool, not being put out by Sterling, but by his agent.
“If I was him, I would have a quiet word with my agent and say ‘Until I do my bit on the field, I’d shut up’.”
SEE ALSO: Greatest football team of all time! Check out the best XI of the 21st Century
COMMENTS