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Sterling the new Overmars ... are you sure, Rooney?

Raheem Sterling was a constant threat to the Italian defence at the World Cup © Getty Images

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Wayne Rooney has claimed that Raheem Sterling reminds him of a young Marc Overmars - but could it be that the England captain has an ulterior motive for making the comparison?

"He's quite an unusual player, someone who can play right across the front line and out wide," said Rooney, ahead of England's Euro 2016 qualifier against Switzerland.

"Although he's a small lad he's really strong as well. I sat down with him before the World Cup and showed him videos of Marc Overmars. He reminds me of him.

Show him the money!

• Raheem Sterling is probably the top teenage talent in Europe and seems to have left his team-mates at Liverpool in the shade, so isn't it about time the Anfield club offered him a bumper new contract?
• David Usher argues the England forward has earned wages of around £100,000-a-week now and the club should arrange to pay him it.
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"He's a young lad, but the potential he has shown is incredible. In fact, he has the potential to be as good as Overmars.

"A fantastic player - you saw that last season and again, already, at the start of this one. He'll be a massive player for us for the next 10-15 years and, unfortunately, also for Liverpool."

Sterling certainly is a speedy customer like the former Arsenal star, but whereas Overmars was a direct, up and down winger, the Liverpool man is most effective when attacking space through the middle, as he has proved for club and country.

Rooney was even shunted out to the left wing with Sterling in the middle for England's opening 2-1 defeat to Italy at the World Cup.

Following another lacklustre performance from England's captain up top in the 1-0 win against Norway, his position through the middle against Switzerland could even be under threat from Sterling again.

Sterling occupied the flanks for most of England's win on Wednesday, but shone after being switched to a central role at the tip of a diamond when Rooney was later substituted, the position from where he hard torn Tottenham apart a few days earlier in Liverpool's 3-0 victory at White Hart Lane.

England even trained in Basel on Sunday evening with Sterling operating in that same role behind Danny Welbeck and Rooney.

Roy Hodgson appears to be increasingly aware of the fact that he would be wise to build his team around Sterling - the lofty status once enjoyed by Rooney.

Ah, now we get it, Wayne...

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