By Alan Nixon
Liverpool starlet Raheem Sterling is ready to sign a lucrative new deal – but Brendan Rodgers wants to make sure he is not spoiled by a massive wage.
The England new boy and his advisers are close to agreeing a long-term package to stay at the Kop after his meteoric rise for club and country.
However Rodgers is urging that Sterling is paid in a way that does not take the edge off his game or stuff his pockets too much and too fast.
The Liverpool boss wants to keep Sterling for his revolution but is keen to avoid his head being turned by bundles of cash when he is still learning – and only months out of school.
Instead the Anfield club are looking to pay Sterling around £30,000-a-week, with his salary rising as he makes groups of appearances and progresses.
It is a huge hike from his current deal at around £100,000-a-year but not into the top tier of Liverpool’s earners – although there is scope for improvement within the length of the contract.
Rodgers is desperate to keep Sterling fresh and hungry and not waste him as he tries to keep the brilliant babe’s feet on the floor.
