Brendan Rodgers: Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling is the best young player in Europe

Raheem Sterling has seemingly found a new gear to his game this season

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has high praise for his matchwinner at Norwich today as the Reds moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Raheem Sterling scored twice and assisted Luis Suarez’s goal as Liverpool beat Norwich City 3-2 at Carrow Road. Sterling opened the scoring after five minutes and Suarez doubled that lead after 11 minutes from Sterling’s pass.

He restored their two-goal lead in the second half with a deflected effort after Gary Hooper pulled a goal back. Eventually the Reds hung on for a huge victory after Robert Snodgrass scored another but it wasn’t enough for the relegation battlers.

Sterling has improved leaps and bounds this season and has now scored 9 goals in the Premier League. He has been electric in recent weeks and was magnificent today when his team needed him most.

And Rodgers loved it, saying: “I think he’s arguably the best young player in European football at the moment.

“He should win Young Player of the Year, which, for me, should be under 21. I’m really pleased with his maturity. He puts an awful lot of time into his work.

“We have tried to play him in different positions to improve his football intelligence. He started at the tip of the diamond today and moved to the right side of a front three.

“He’s a really humble kid and he’s got that in-built brain and belief.”