• Premier League

Sterling: Gerrard ready if United target me

ESPN staff
January 11, 2013
Raheem Sterling claims Steven Gerrard is his protector © Getty Images
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Liverpool youngster Raheem Sterling feels the experience in the Anfield dressing room can help inspire the club to victory at Manchester United on Sunday, and he warned United's defenders that any foul on him will be avenged by Steven Gerrard.

Sterling, 18, will make his first visit to Old Trafford this weekend since bursting onto the scene as a Liverpool player.

Gone are the days when this fixture brought together the two top sides in the country, with Liverpool struggling for form in the league this season, currently lying eighth in the Premier League table.

However, the England international believes that with the likes of captain Gerrard and Jamie Carragher in the dressing room the Reds still have a great chance of securing a result.

"The older boys say that Manchester United is one of the hardest places to go," Sterling said in an interview with the Daily Mirror. "The pitch is massive and in the last 10 minutes they say it gets even bigger! Hopefully we can go there, do our best and come out with a result even though it's going to be very, very hard, a real test.

"The atmosphere in the dressing room is brilliant. We've got Gerrard and Carragher, they're real characters. They're going to make us know what sort of game it is, what it's like and get us ready for it.

"They've been on us all week, telling how important it is. To have people around like that is brilliant. They've been around for so long. They love to have a laugh, good personalities and you need those characters in the dressing room."

Sterling also credits Gerrard in particular as having an excellent influence on helping him settle into the club.

"He has been brilliant for me," he said. "He's always looking after me, always checking to see if I'm alright. I've noticed as well that if anyone touches me on the pitch, he'll always get them straight back with a tackle! He's always looking after me, on the pitch, off the pitch.

"He looked after me when I first joined the club, got into the team and when I was looking for somewhere to live. He's an inspiration and a great captain."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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