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Sterling complained he was 'tired', Hodgson reveals

Raheem Sterling told Roy Hodgson he was feeling 'tired' during training on Saturday © Getty Images

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Roy Hodgson has defended Raheem Sterling after admitting the 19-year-old was left out of England's starting line-up against Estonia because he said he was feeling "tired".

Liverpool's Sterling came off the bench in the second half of England's 1-0 win in Tallinn, having told Hodgson in training on Saturday that was fatigued, despite only playing 45 minutes in Thursday's 5-0 win over San Marino at Wembley.

"People don't like it when you simplistically tell the truth. We were training at The Grove doing a light session and some work on how we wanted to play the game tactically," Hodgson said.

"Just before we started, Raheem had done the warm up and he came to me and said 'look I really am feeling a bit tired, I'm not in my best form at the moment because I am feeling a bit tired'.

"So I said best thing is Adam Lallana starts the game and you rest and I have got you to bring on from the bench, simple as that. As you saw when he came on there is nothing wrong with him and he isn't suffering from anything.

"It was a question of having two players, who both did pretty well against San Marino and one is telling me he is a bit tired and jaded, the other one is full of beans. We'll put the one on who is full of beans and keep the other one up your sleeve.

"I think it would be wrong of players to try to fool me into think they are ready and that they're 100 percent when they aren't because they are robbing somebody else of an opportunity. I thought Lallana had a good game.

"Don't forget it was two days after quite a difficult game against San Marino. It was two days after the game. It was fatigue he hadn't managed to shake off after the San Marino game, it was no more complicated than that. Is it common? I don't really know.

"At international level, when there are so many good players trying to get their hands on the shirt, I don't think you should keep hold of it when maybe you are feeling yourself that you're not at your best.

"We have to take players' welfare into consideration and there are times when top league teams with Champions League football when players suffer from a physical and mental fatigue."

Hodgson suggested that Sterling's mental fatigue might also be down to Liverpool's poor start to the season.

"There is an awful lot going on in his head. Perhaps it's quite simply the season hasn't started quite as well for Liverpool as they wanted," Hodgson said.

"He's player who's always in the focus and spotlight for England and Liverpool, maybe that's had some effect. But I don't know, it's a theory.

"In mitigation of a young player, when you break into a team like Liverpool and you have a fantastic season, then you go to the World Cup and you do well and people regard you as one of the few who lived up to his reputation.

"Then you come back and you're still only 19 years of age, there are a lot of other things that play a part it people's make up. It isn't quite as simple as the training you're doing maybe taking some juice from your legs."

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