Brendan Rodgers won’t allow business to dominate his personal feelings for Raheem Sterling.
Rodgers confirmed Monday that Sterling would be joining Manchester City from Liverpool in a blockbuster transfer but denied their relationship had broken down during the transfer saga. Rodgers discussed Sterling’s impending transfer during a press conference in Bangkok that marked the first day of Liverpool’s 2015 preseason tour, according to LFCTour.com.
“The situation currently is simple,” Rodgers said when asked about his relationship with Sterling and the status of his transfer talks. “The club has agreed with another club a deal for Raheem to be transferred. Subject to a medical, that will go through.
“Contrary to the last week or so, in terms of what was written, Raheem and I have always remained very strong in our relationship, and have been up until he left. There is no issue there.”
Rodgers worked with Sterling between 2012 and last week, developing him from a 17-year-old prospect into the most expensive English player of all time — Manchester City is set to pay £49 million ($76 million) for the forward.
Rodgers added Liverpool hopes to become a stronger team than last season despite losing a player who won European soccer’s Golden Boy Award in 2014 and the club’s Young Player of the Year in 2014-15.
“I think the key for us is that it is the overall team that is important,” Rodgers said. “Individuals like Raheem will have benefited from the team. We obviously aim to be much stronger and much more competitive than what we were last season, but that’ll be reliant on everyone.”
Rodgers and Sterling now are set to part ways, but their futures almost certainly will intersect on the field next season and beyond.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@SkyFootball
