Raheem Sterling will get even better

Sterling can only get better at Anfield

I don’t think even the most optimistic Liverpool fan could have predicted the season Raheem Sterling had last year.

Sure, we all knew he had incredible talent and was supposed to one day become this incredible world beater, but after his inevitable decline in form halfway through Brendan Rodgers’ debut season, it looked like we’d have to wait a while longer for him to reach that level.

He was restricted to a handful of substitute appearances in the first few games last season, in which it was difficult for him to make an impact due to the incredibly difficult situations we found ourselves in. In the second half against Stoke, the whole team struggled as the away side continued to pile on the pressure. Against Man United, we just needed to hold on to our 1-0 lead. Amongst others, those were very difficult situations for a youngster to come on and make a difference.

Sterling’s first start was in the appalling 3-1 defeat against Hull, a game where Rodgers rested a ton of regular first teamers (even Moses started) and by that point fans were starting to wonder if Sterling was just another youngster offering false promise, forgetting he was still only 19 at the time.

But Rodgers stuck with him and started him in the following game against Norwich City. Suarez was absolutely key to restoring Sterling’s confidence in that game and finding his form. While Suarez himself got a hat trick (of course he did), he assisted Sterling to make it 3-1. The youngster kicked on from there and found himself in remarkable form for the rest of the season. He was definitely one of our best players, constantly making life difficult for defenders who had to cope with his incredible pace and trickery alongside the likes of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.

He even got called up to the England squad for his first World Cup, where he was one of the nation’s better players (though that’s not saying much).

This season, I think Sterling will be even better. Of course, he won’t be able to rely on Suarez’s brilliance to help him through the season, but I don’t think he’ll need it. This time last year, he was still a youngster with a lot to prove. Now, he will go into the new season with real Premier League experience and an international tournament under his belt, plus he’s been excellent in pre-season.

He’ll want to start the new season in exactly the way he ended the last one; in remarkable form, with incredible pace and lots of goals. The team will be playing the same way so he’ll have Sturridge, Markovic etc all bombing forward with him making it a torrid time for the opposition defence.

I think Raheem Sterling will step up another level this season. He’ll be itching to have another go at winning the league and he’ll be relishing the opportunity to play in the Champions League. It’ll be up to the opposition to keep him quiet, and I know which team I’d rather be on.