So what’s all the fuss about Raheem Sterling then?
Liverpool have beaten out a host of Premiership clubs to sign teenage sensation Raheem Sterling from QPR, signing the 15 year old on a £300,000 contract yesterday.
Dubbed as the “next Theo Walcott”, the wonderkid has signed a contract until 2014 andwill join Liverpool’s academy, with further instalments being paid to QPR if the youngster breaks into the first team. Liverpool beat the likes of Manchester United, Man City, Fulham and Arsenal to sign the attacking midfield prodigy.
Lightning quick, Sterling is rated as high as Wayne Rooney was at that age, with QPR’s Head of Development Steve Gallen has heaped praise on the England U-16 international, saying:
“(Sterling) has loads of natural ability. This boy can pass, shoot, head it, score goals, tackle, defend, anything.”
The signing of Sterling represents a major coup for Liverpool and Academy Director Frank McParland in their bid to develop their academy. Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow has hyped up his new signing, saying:
“We have made clear that we will invest in outstanding young talent. Raheem is a very exciting young English player whose progress was being closely monitored by many other leading clubs and I’m delighted he’s joining us.”
Liverpool’s desire to develop their academy is a result of the massive debts incurred by the American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, which mean the club cannot splash out millions on expensive new signings for the foreseeable future. Investing in youth is a policy that has worked wonders for Liverpool’s chief rivals like Arsenal and Manchester United, with Wenger and Ferguson masters at bringing young talent through the ranks at their clubs.
Rafael Benitez is not known for bringing in young talent and integrating them into his team, with youngsters like Lucas Leiva, David N’Gog and Emiliano Insua being brought in from elsewhere. Whatever happens though, Sterling has star potential and is an undeniable talent, and can help Liverpool build for the future by attracting other potential stars to join the Liverpool academy. It will be a few years before we start seeing him in the Liverpool first team, but the 15 year old has the real potential to be a star and live up to the mantle of being the next Theo Walcott.
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Good to see supporters of other clubs are crying like a baby as they had missed his signature.
Wide mouthed fools!!!
Raheem, from this day forward, your performance on the football pitch would be anything but sterling. Big mistake, young man to leave your development in the hands of Rafa.
he is being dubbed the new Walcott I presume because at the age of 15 Walcott was showing the attributes and potential to be a future world class player with a tool being his pace that is unrivaled in the EPL, just hope that he don’t go the same way as Walcott and have his development shattered by injury.
As for Benitez he has brought Reina, Agger, Alonso, Torres and Mascherano who fair enough were a lot more developed and older than Wenger or Fergies young players but they were still far from the finished article at there previous clubs so I wouldn’t knock him on that front plus Wenger has only started to bring through a lot of of quality youth in the past couple of seasons with the exception of Vieira Anelka and Henry who he paid 16mil for the three anyway and Fergie was there near 6-7 years before he started to gain fruition from his youth development, under Benitez Liverpool U18s have won 2 youth cups and beaten finalists in another flourished with players bought by him, Pacheco, Della Valle, Insua, Kelly, Nemeth, Amoo and the likes all brought in by him and look to be all future stars so give Benitez time, youth development takes time
@ Brauser..if you can’t speak well for a player keep your stupid mouth shut..the last time a young player rejected Liverpool for his native club was Mccarthy..now he plays for latics..
if you wanna weep keep weeping..but a toppremier league club is far better option than QPR..
and as for Ferguson’s talent up bringing..well giggs,o’shea, fletcher may be..none of them are even talked about outside united..they are good for english football..but no phenomenal choices..
Wenger plays kids so often ..look at fabregas injury when 21, now look at ramsey..alright he has a good eye..but he mistimes their first team breaks..as a result the kids suffer and he keeps blaming one team after another for bringing down his men..this is a boys’ game not kids..
Can peoeple who write articles get the facts right before opening their mouths.
why do you always credit Wenger and ferguson for bringing in young talent and not Rafa.
Yes, Insua, Ngog, lucas were brought in, just like Silva bro’s, rooney, fabregas, ramsey, bentdnr.
Also what talents did ferguson bring in from the youths when he took over.
The first lot if talent came in nearly 8yrs into his reign at united, just like wenger took more the 5yrs to get talent through.
As for Rafa, here are a few names which have played this season or who are going to have a bright future
Nemeth (out on loan, scoring goals for fun in greece), Ngog, Weijl, San José (out on loan to atletico Bibao, has become a regular in the team who are fighting for europe) Dalla Valle, Pacheco, Bruna (in the top ten of uefa’s list of talent) Ayala, Kelly, Darby, Spearing.
Some of theses names have already figured for the first time.
Matty K
Its obvious there will be jealousy from rival supporters that this talented youngster prefers Anfield over their spineless clubs but who blames him- shows the kids got brains as well as talent. Welcome to the most successful team in EPL history Raheem.