manager Brendan Rodgers has praised youngster Raheem Sterling, and stated that he has a big future in the game.

The talented attacker scored the only goal of the game against Reading in a 1-0 win on Saturday, and was lavished with praise by the Northern Irish coach.

"You could call it tough love with Raheem, but I always offer the players the carrot, because there’s no-one in this world who responds to being beaten with a stick all the time," Rodgers is quoted as saying by The Daily Mail.

"That’s the case in any industry, football or whatever, but Raheem is the type who likes you to be direct.

"He likes to be told. He is a great boy, a really good kid. His mum does a great job with him, and he handles everything about the situation really well.

"At 17, he’s still got an awful long way to go, so it’s important I try to manage him properly. We want to have him here as a legend for many years. We don’t want him getting carried away with all the adulation and then find, at 21, he’s washed up and everyone wants him out.

"The biggest thing with me is just maintaining the hunger that he’s got now, because you see when he’s got that, and he’s learning and developing, that he can be a really top player. It’s a long way to go for him but, up to now, he’s been a revelation," Rodgers concluded.

The win leaves the Reds in 12th place with nine points from their first eight games this season.