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Lucas Leiva insists the sale of Raheem Sterling won’t wreck Liverpool’s campaign like the departure of Luis Suarez did a year ago.

Sterling has become the most expensive English player in history after completing his £49million move to Manchester City.

His acrimonious exit follows a summer when the Reds have also lost talismanic skipper Steven Gerrard.

Twelve months ago Liverpool sold Suarez to Barcelona and were left counting the cost as they struggled to score goals in his absence.

However, Lucas says the loss of Sterling won’t have the same kind of impact and he believes the Reds can cope without the youngster.

IN PICS: Reds open pre-season with a win

“Every season you lose players,” said Lucas, who played the first half of the 4-0 win over the Thai All Stars.

“Raheem was important for us, he was a young player, but we have also lost Stevie, too, and Glen Johnson. They are big, experienced players and one very good young player.

“I think it would be unfair to put Raheem in the same bracket as Luis. He is only a young player. He is only 20 and has to develop.

“Of course he was very important for us for two seasons. But Suarez is one of the best players in the world at this moment in time.

“Raheem is probably one of the best young players so there is a gap. He decided to move on and the club felt that they got a good deal.

“We shouldn’t start the season again talking about the players that we lost. Last year I think something that distracted us was losing Luis.

“We knew it would be hard but we just need to focus on the players who arrived. We need to make sure we help them settle. I think the team just has to adapt. I have been very impressed with a lot of the new players. The club has to move on.”

Lucas believes Liverpool have taken the first steps towards achieving that with a positive start to the pre-season schedule.

The players have been getting used to a new set-up following the summer overhaul of the backroom staff which saw Colin Pascoe and Mike Marsh dispensed with and Sean O’Driscoll, Pep Lijnders and Gary McAllister appointed.

McAllister will link up with the squad for the first time when they arrive in Brisbane on Wednesday for the second leg of the tour.

“It’s been a very hard week for us but the body starts to feel better now and the games will help us,” Lucas added.

“That is what we need and then we can go back to England in good shape.

“Sean and Pep are working a lot with us on the training ground. They are giving a lot of information to us and they are trying to put their mark on things with Brendan.

“Hopefully this season we will start in a positive way. That is what cost us last season. We didn’t have a good start.

“We have difficult games again but when we start well, as we have shown in other seasons, the confidence grows and it takes us through to the end of the season.”