Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has insisted that he will not let money ruin Raheem Sterling following his call-up to the national side.
Sterling was summoned as a late replacement for England mid-week, but Rodgers is determined to keep his feet on the ground.
"The biggest thing that distorts the reality of people and footballers is money - I have seen it so much with young players," said Rodgers. "You see these young boys play one or two games, they get handed these super-duper contracts and then they go down straight away.
"I want to manage the expectation of the kid. The last thing we need is Sky Sports coming up with the yellow bar saying he has signed a five year contract after two games [for Liverpool].
"Now you are seeing these young players who are multi-millionaires. No matter what you say, it takes the edge off them."
Sterling is expected to feature for Liverpool against Sunderland on Saturday.
Nik Simon
