Raheem Sterling could stay at Liverpool, despite contract problems, says Gary Neville
Tuesday 19 May 2015 13:18, UK
Raheem Sterling's Liverpool career isn't necessarily over, says Gary Neville - but the club must consider how they handle contracts.
Sky sources understand the 20-year-old is due to turn down an extension when contract talks resume later this week, leaving him with two years left on his current deal.
However, Neville says the situation could still be resolved further down the line and pointed out that even Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard had difficulties during his time with the club.
"I've seen these situations turn around, where a player can be happy again," Neville said on Monday Night Football.
"I don’t think it's a case where all is lost. It's about communication, getting themselves in a room and sorting it out.
"Steven Gerrard had his ups and downs along the way, there were moments where, could he have left, might he have left, he thought about leaving... it wasn't all plain sailing.
"If you look back through careers of football players, even players who have been one-club men and stayed at the club, there are ups and downs and obstacles along the way. This could just be an obstacle."
However, Neville says it is a concern that Sterling's contract issue follows difficulties surrounding new deals for Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Luis Suarez.
The Sky Sports pundit believes Liverpool may have to consider their approach to offering players new contracts.
"From Liverpool's point of view, I don't think they have particularly handled contracts well over the last 18 months," he said.
"You think of Steven Gerrard. I know we've given him a great send-off this weekend and it's rightly deserved, but that could have been handled a little bit better, someone who, had he been handed a contract a year ago, probably would have signed.
"With Luis Suarez, it seemed a bit strange in the way his contract was dealt with and he ended up leaving. Jordan Henderson has signed now but that seemed to drag on a little bit as well. Now Raheem Sterling.
"Liverpool need to nip it in the bud. It's three or four times this has happened in the last couple of years, so they may have a little issue they need to deal with themselves on how they go about doing this internally.
"I haven't got a clue about what's gone on with Raheem's contract or the others I've just spoken about but certainly, if you're having players grumbling about wanting to leave or leaving in circumstances you don't want them to, they've got to sort that out so it's a lot more efficient, a lot more clean, that they get the process right, so players aren't in a position where this is happening.
"It's always going to happen once, but when it happens twice, three times, it's starting to get a little bit sloppy."
Leadership
Neville says the Sterling situation highlights the need for Liverpool to replace the likes of Jamie Carragher and Gerrard.
The pair have been key figures at the club but, when Gerrard moves to the MLS at the end of this season, Neville feels the Liverpool dressing room will be lacking experienced leaders who can advise young players such as Sterling.
"For Liverpool, they've not qualified for the Champions League, they lost Luis Suarez last season - and it's not easy to take money and replace players like Sterling, Suarez or Gerrard - and they have a huge void in their football club," said Neville.
"They've lost Jamie Carragher and now they've lost Steven Gerrard. That hurts and that hurts badly, to replace personalities who control the dressing room, who get a grip of situations like this.
"If you think about young players in the dressing room, who would be the first person you'd go to? You'd go to Jamie Carragher, you'd go to Steven Gerrard and say 'have a word, see what's happening'.
"Those characters aren't at Liverpool anymore. Who's talking to Raheem in the dressing room? Who's talking next season, when there's a big leadership void?
"They've got to try to replace Jamie Carragher, they've got to try to replace Steven Gerrard, they've got to try to replace Luis Suarez - and they're out of the Champions League.
"The owners spend money to an extent but it's that little bit below the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. There has to be a big investment of some kind and they have to shock everybody."
