'It won't be long before Sterling is an England regular' - Liverpool team-mate Gerrard

Nov 16, 2012 12:40:00 PM

The Reds captain has praised the Jamaica-born winger for his rapid development and believes he will soon be a Three Lions mainstay after featuring against Sweden on Wednesday

Steven Gerrard has tipped Liverpool team-mate Raheem Sterling to break into the England team as a regular sooner rather than later.

The pair started together in the Three Lions' friendly defeat against Sweden on Wednesday, where Sterling impressed as the third-youngest player to feature for the national team behind Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney.

The Reds' and Three Lions' captain explained that the 17-year-old is poised for stardom, and contrasted his own footballing education to the Jamaican-born winger’s rapid ascent to the England team on Wednesday.

"When I was 17, I was an apprentice at Liverpool cleaning boots in the changing room. It goes to show how far he has come in a short space of time," he told The Telegraph.

"I thought he was brilliant. He has learnt really quickly in a Liverpool shirt and he will do the same for England. It won’t be long before he is a regular and he is going to be a phenomenal talent."

Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200
Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets
Sign up today with Coral and get a £50 FREE bet - no strings attached!
Sign up today with BetVictor and get a £25 FREE BET!

play

open

Inside Goal.Com

Real Madrid are better off without Mourinho
The Portuguese's position had become untenable in recent weeks, especially after Friday's debacle in the Copa del Rey. Now he's leaving, but the club can grow stronger without him
AVB, Levy & Lewis to thrash out Tottenham plans
After missing out on a place in the Champions League, the north London side are devising a way to keep Gareth Bale at the club and attract new stars to White Hart Lane
Bayern's jinx - CL final referee Nicola Rizzoli
Goal takes a look at the career of the Italian arbiter to date following Uefa's decision to appoint the 41-year-old for Saturday's showpiece at Wembley
Cartoon: Casillas' birthday wish comes true
Goal.com cartoonist Omar Momani gives us his unique take on the football news of the day
Goal's Serie A awards for 2012-13
Goal crowns the best and worst from Italy over the course of the season