• Premier League

Sterling warned not to be greedy by Rodgers

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has warned Raheem Sterling and his representatives not to get greedy as contract talks continue.

Sterling has still not signed a new deal - expected to commit him to staying at Liverpool until 2020 - even though negotiations began last October.

His current contract expires in 2017, with the club are keen to tie the 20-year-old down to an extension, and Rodgers says a generous offer has already been made.

Raheem Sterling has been offered an "incredible" deal by Liverpool, according to Brendan Rodgers © Getty Images

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"It's an incredible deal for a young player," said Rodgers. "I've spoken to Raheem a number of times. He's very happy here, and you see that in his game.

"What he's been granted here at this club is an opportunity. We see that with lots of young players who get the opportunity to play here.

"They get rewarded for that, but we're certainly not a club that's going to give out something way above what a player's worth at a certain time in their career.

"It's not a case of just giving a player what they want - and I'm not talking about Raheem here, I'm talking in general. We want to reward our best talents. They're a big part of our future. We're confident that will be in hand and will be agreed very soon."

Departing captain Steven Gerrard has already urged Liverpool to move quickly to ensure new contracts are in place for both Sterling and vice-captain Jordan Henderson, whose current deal runs out in 2016.

Reports in December suggested that Sterling had rejected an offer of £70,000 a week, which is believed to be more than double his current salary, while it has been suggested since then that any new deal will be worth closer to £100,000 a week.

As far back as January 9, sources told ESPN that an agreement with Sterling was close, with Rodgers saying on January 22 that the deal was "very imminent".

Raheem Sterling is understood to have rejected an offer of £70,000 a week from Liverpool © Getty Images

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Rodgers, who gave Sterling a short break in January to protect him from burnout, is wary of giving young players too much money too soon, fearing it could warp their sense of reality.

He said: "Talking in general, and not just about Raheem, it's very important that young players have something to strive for. If they get too much, too young, it can sabotage their development.

"That's why we communicate a lot with the players and with their advisers. If they're given good advice and sound advice, they will see that.

"It's about mapping out a career of a young player. Raheem's been outstanding since we put him in the team, but we mustn't forget that he was a 17-year-old boy given an opportunity at Liverpool.

"In the two-and-a-half years since we introduced him into the team, he's been fantastic, but he still has a long way to go. He still has a lot to do in his development.

"We believe this will be the best place for him, and I believe he knows that as well. It's important to reward him.

"His value and worth are very important to us but you need to leave something fthem to progress on to the next level. That's important for all young players, not just for Raheem."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd