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Raheem Sterling should be praised rather than criticised for speaking up and telling Roy Hodgson he was tired.

If that was me, I wouldn’t have said anything. I’d have insisted I was fine and then I would probably have been awful in the game.

For Raheem to pull Hodgson to one side and admit he was struggling before the European qualifier in Estonia, he must have been knackered .

To suggest he somehow let down his country is nonsense. Let’s not forget he came off the bench and won the free-kick which led to Wayne Rooney’s goal.

Hodgson was sensible not starting him. Yes, he could have just said it was his idea to give Raheem a rest rather than revealing what the youngster had told him but I still don’t know why the media have made such a big deal out of it.

It was only Estonia away and Adam Lallana wasn’t exactly a bad replacement. England won the game and got the three points so what’s the problem?

(Image: Action Images / Carl Recine)

From a Liverpool point of view, I’m delighted Raheem did speak up because he’s vitally important for us.

What’s clear is that he has to be managed carefully by both club and country. There is so much expectation and pressure on him, and that takes a lot out of you. It’s not just physical, it’s mental fatigue which can be an issue.

Raheem played so much football in the second half of last season and then went to the World Cup where he was under the spotlight.

He started the new season brilliantly but as I said in last week’s column he’s had a bit of a blip recently. He hasn’t had much rest so tiredness is bound to be a factor.

It’s easy to forget that Raheem is still only 19. He’s only a baby in footballing terms. He’s playing week in week out at the highest level when most kids his age are still looking to break through to the first team.

We want to see him playing but only if he’s fully fit and able to do himself justice. It’s a tough one because you can’t wrap him in cotton wool, but we’ve seen before what can happen if you demand too much from a young player.

When you are struggling with fatigue, that’s when you pick up injuries.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence but I do wonder whether all this recent speculation about his future has also affected his form. The stories about interest from Real Madrid can’t have helped.

At his age he shouldn’t be thinking about new contracts and money.

He should be concentrating on playing football and enjoying it.

It’s a tricky one for the club because you need to get him tied down to a new deal and he deserves to be rewarded for the progress he has made over the past 18 months.

However, you can’t be giving out £100,000 per week to a teenager. You have to find a way to ensure you keep the fire in his belly.

It makes sense to come up with a contract which is heavily incentivised so that you keep that motivation.

The sooner that contract gets signed the better.

Sturridge return would be big boost

Hoop we’ll see Daniel Sturridge back in a Liverpool shirt against Queen’s Park Rangers on Sunday.

His return from injury would be a massive boost as we’ve really missed him over the past five weeks.

It gives the manager great options as he can play Mario Balotelli just behind Sturridge with possibly Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling on the flanks.

With Joe Allen and Emre Can also close to full fitness, Brendan Rodgers would also have the option of playing Steven Gerrard further forward in midfield.

QPR have had a bad start to the campaign and we need to ensure that continues.

However, with the way we’ve been defending lately we’ll probably need to score three goals to win.

We need to go into that big game against Real Madrid with confidence.

Ladies' title glory

I was delighted to see Liverpool Ladies retain the title on a dramatic final day of the Women’s Super League season .

They went into their game against Bristol Academy third in the table but they got the win they needed and with both Chelsea and Birmingham slipping up they were crowned champions on goal difference. It’s a great achievement.

Toure set for Reds call

With Dejan Lovren getting injured on international duty it looks like we’ll be short of centre-backs going into a massive week.

If Mamadou Sakho doesn’t recover from his thigh strain then Kolo Toure will have to come in alongside Martin Skrtel against Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.

It’s not ideal, especially with Real Madrid coming to Anfield next Wednesday.

At 33, Toure is not blessed with pace but he has got a wealth of experience. He is no mug and did a good job for us on a number of occasions last seaso

Thrashing minnows is pointless

Over the past week England thrashed San Marino 5-0 and then Republic of Ireland hammered Gibraltar 7-0. I just think these games are completely pointless. They are like testimonials.

What do those smaller nations actually get out of being battered every time they play?

There should be two tiers of qualifying with the lesser nations all in one group with the winners then getting the chance to play in the main qualifying section.

I was watching Ireland play Gibraltar and when it was 7-0 with half an hour left I didn’t want us to score again. For the first time ever I wanted Ireland to go easy on the team they were playing! I felt sorry for Gibraltar as it was so demoralising for them.

For the likes of England and Ireland, playing against a bunch of part-timers is just an exercise in boosting your goal difference.