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Liverpool FC manager Brendan Rodgers has vowed to ensure that Raheem Sterling isn’t hampered by the weight of expectation on his young shoulders.

The gifted 19-year-old returned to Melwood on a high this week after helping England make a flying start to their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

Having provided one of the few positives from the dour friendly win over Norway, Sterling lit up the game against Switzerland in Basel as he shone at the tip of Roy Hodgson’s midfield diamond.

For the fearless teenager it was simply a case of transferring his scintillating club form on to the international stage.

But Rodgers is uneasy about the fact that Sterling, who picked up his ninth cap on Monday night, is already being billed as England’s great hope for a bright future.

The Liverpool boss is determined to protect Sterling from the glare of the spotlight as the youngster continues his development.

“I’ve spoken to Raheem about it this week,” Rodgers told the ECHO.

“I must say he handles it very well. He’s just taking it all in his stride. He’s a very mature boy. He’s a good kid who has grown up very quickly in the last two years. He’s very grounded.

“His talent is doing all the talking for him. He’s in a really exciting time at this club and in an exciting team.

“It’s our job here to protect him as we want him to still be playing at the top of his game when he gets to his peak years between 28 and 31.

“In terms of where he’s at, we just need to be careful. It would very foolish for anyone to start focusing solely on Raheem, because England need a team; they don’t need just one player.

“We’ve seen it over the years with young players. One minute that player is the world’s best, the next minute he gets crucified.

“Raheem will make mistakes, he will have bad games, but he will also have outstanding games.

“He’s a wonderful talent who is doing great for Liverpool but there are still a lot of things he needs to learn and he knows that.

“It’s a case of keeping the calmness with him as he still has a way to go but he’s certainly performing at a really high level at the moment.”

As well as his blistering pace and breathtaking skill, Sterling showcased for England the tactical intelligence Rodgers has instilled.

The manager inherited a raw winger packed full of potential when he took over at Anfield two years ago.

Now he possesses a versatile attacker, whose most devastating displays for the Reds have been in a central role – like at Tottenham a fortnight ago when he tormented Mauricio Pochettino’s side during an emphatic 3-0 triumph.

Rodgers will be hoping for more of the same when Sterling returns to club duty against Aston Villa today.

“When I first had Raheem a couple of years ago he was an out and out winger,” Rodgers said.

“He preferred to play on the left coming in off his right foot, making runs on the inside and looking to beat his opponent on the one v one.

“As his game has developed he’s played across the frontline in a lot of different systems.

“I’ve done it all my life with young players, playing them in different positions to see if they can improve their game intelligence.

“We’ve seen him playing at the top of the diamond or in that No 10 role. His football brain is improving all the time. He can play one touch, two touch and he also works tirelessly for the team.

“He’s a big talent and the consistency in his performances over the period he’s been in the team has been exceptional.”

Villa were heavily tipped to be relegation candidates this season but they will arrive full of confidence after an impressive start.

Paul Lambert’s men have taken seven points out of nine with wins over Stoke and Hull sandwiched by a draw with Newcastle.

Villa have proved a tough nut to crack at Anfield in recent years with the Reds failing to beat them on home turf since December 2010.

Christian Benteke struck twice in Villa’s 3-1 win during Rodgers’s first season at the helm and then Liverpool battled back from 2-0 down to earn a point in January.

The Reds will be reunited with former Anfield duo Aly Cissokho and Joe Cole, but they won’t have to face Benteke, who has yet to recover from the ruptured Achilles which forced him to miss the World Cup.

“Villa have started well and it’s no surprise because they have some talented players with the likes of Weimann, N’Zogbia, Delph and Agbonlahor,” Rodgers added.

“I’m pleased for Paul because when he went in there the first season was difficult. He has been limited in terms of what he could spend and bring in.

“He built a young group who have developed and grown and got better. This season he’ll see the faith he put in them bear fruit. Paul is an excellent manager and a good guy.

“Away from home we’ve won well against Villa but at home it’s been difficult for us.

“We struggled in the game during my first year here and we were well beaten on the day.

“Last season we started slowly but showed great character and resilience to come back and draw the game.

“It will be a difficult game but we’re at home and we always expect to do well at Anfield.”