Soccer

Brendan Rodgers angered by Raheem Sterling treatment

‘The boy is being hung out to dry and I dare say the criticism will continue for a few more weeks’

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has denied the club put pressure on England boss Roy Hodgson to rest Raheem Sterling against Estonia on Sunday. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has denied the club put pressure on England boss Roy Hodgson to rest Raheem Sterling against Estonia on Sunday. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Fri Oct 17 2014 - 14:37

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has denied that the club put pressure on Roy Hodgson to rest Raheem Sterling for England's Euro 2016 qualifier against Estonia on Sunday.

Sterling started in the victory against San Marino the previous Thursday but was left out of the starting line-up on Sunday, although he came off the bench to win the free-kick from which Wayne Rooney scored the only goal.

Rodgers insists that Sterling never said he did not want to play and that it was Hodgson's decision to leave the forward out of the starting XI. "I'm fed up reading about this club v country, claims we intervened and put pressure on Roy Hodgson," Rodgers told The Independent. "I've read we sent a dossier to the FA on Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge and I'm having showdown talks with Roy Hodgson on Sunday and all sorts of rubbish. The decision not to play him was a managerial decision. I haven't said a single word but have to say I have never seen such rubbish written over the past few days."

Raheem Sterling dribbles in between Estonia’s Artur Pikk (l) and Dmitri Kruglov (r) during their Euro 2016 qualifier at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn. Photograph: Ints Kalnins / Reuters
Raheem Sterling dribbles in between Estonia’s Artur Pikk (l) and Dmitri Kruglov (r) during their Euro 2016 qualifier at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn. Photograph: Ints Kalnins / Reuters

Rodgers feels Sterling is not being fairly treated and does not believe the criticism will end any time soon. "At no point did Raheem Sterling say he didn't want to play for England, " he added. "The boy is being hung out to dry and I dare say the criticism will continue for a few more weeks to come because of this."

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Rodgers added it was Hodgson’s call, a “managerial decision”, to leave him out of the starting XI.

“Let me tell you, there have been at least five occasions in the past when Raheem has said he felt tired before games but he’s never refused to play,” said Rodgers. “We have taken on board what he has said and taken a decision accordingly. I rested him against Aston Villa and we lost the game. But it was our decision to do so – and our decision alone. Last season he said he felt tired before the Manchester City game. We won 3-2 and he put in a man-of-the-match performance.”

Rodgers has already clashed with Hodgson over England’s treatment of Daniel Sturridge, while the latter has queried Liverpool’s two-day post-match recovery programme for the striker, who was recently injured on interntational duty.