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With a drop of the shoulder and a surge up-field, what had become well-known on Merseyside was revealed to the world at Carrow Road: Raheem Sterling is a phenomenal talent.

It had become the worst-kept secret at Anfield. While Luis Suarez,Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard received the plaudits, Sterling was quietly improving with every game – but he could only go unnoticed for so long.

A raw prospect became refined; a quick wide man became one of the league's most cultured attacking midfielders, the embodiment of Brendan Rodgers' tactical flexibility.

It became common knowledge on Sunday and typically, by Monday morning, his name was common on back pages that gushed with praise, demanding his inclusion in the England team this summer.

But they were just telling everybody what the Reds already knew.

Both Rodgers and Joe Allen highlighted the 19-year-old's performance at Norwich. Allen called his improvement “incredible”, while the manager claimed he was a cut above all else.

"I think he is the best young player in European football at the moment," said Rodgers.

Some claim, and some competition, too.

In an era where footballers are filmed as soon as they can walk and hailed as heirs to considerable thrones, to be thought of as the best young player in Europe reflects on how well Sterling has done this season.

But is Sterling the best young player – and specifically, teenager – in Europe?

Others would make the claim, particularly in attacking positions.

Domenico Berardi, on loan at Sassuolo from Juventus, has single-handedly kept the Italian side in with a chance of survival, while Udinese's Bruno Fernandes has exploded onto the Serie A scene. Max Meyer (Schalke) and Timo Werner (Stuttgart) have both lit up the Bundesliga this season, while Keita Balde Diao (Lazio) and Lucas Ocampos (Monaco) have featured heavily for their clubs. In the Premier League, Adnan Januzaj's hype has largely been unmatched.

Sterling, however, ranks highest of all eight teenagers.

Key passes per game (teenagers) Source: Squawka.com

He is second in terms of goals (9), with Berardi (13) benefiting from being played as a striker more often, and scoring five penalties. He also has better shooting accuracy than his seven rivals (67%), with only Meyer and Januzaj more accurate with their passes.

He is also more creative than his fellow teens, making an average of 1.27 key passes per game and creating 38 chances throughout the season - Meyer and Berardi are the only others to average more than one per game.

Four assists sees him behind Werner alone, while it is also the Austrian who betters Sterling's 78 take-ons with a 63% success rate. The Liverpool teen also is second in terms of successful dribbles per game (2.7) and makes more tackles (1.4) than anyone bar Bruno Fernandes.

His all-round game is strong – and his impact on the pitch is unmatched.

No other teen has aided their side so frequently, and so finely, in a title race. Meyer and Ocampos have helped Schalke and Monaco into the Champions League; Berardi and Werner are working to keep their sides afloat; Januzaj, Keita and Bruno Fernandes have suffered seasons of little consequence with their clubs.

Nobody – whether attacking or otherwise – has done what Sterling has done this season and featured prominently in a remarkable 11-game winning run to put his side within reach of the title.

There are some fine teenage players further down the pitch like Luke Shaw (Southampton), Adrien Rabiot (PSG) and Saul Niguez (Rayo Vallecano) – but it is hard to dispute that Sterling has become the best teenager in European football.

That he also stands up to slightly older players, those who are 21 and under but are recognised continental stars, demonstrates the development of the Reds prodigy.

Key passes per game (under 21) Source: Squawka.com

He is still sixth in terms of goals scored and notched more than the likes of Mario Gotze, Juan Iturbe and even Philippe Coutinho; he is also eighth in terms of chance creation, bettering Lucas Moura and Iker Muniain. He's also successfully taken on defenders more than Moura, Iturbe and Hakan Calhanoglu, and is seventh overall.

All this with another two years of improvement potentially ahead, making a 21-year-old Sterling the scariest prospect in Europe.

There would usually be a worry at defenders becoming wiser to the ways of Sterling, especially on the continent – a good World Cup will see him targeted by opposition in the Champions League.

But it's one thing knowing about him and another stopping him - just as the Premier League have found to its detriment this season.

Goals scored:

Berardi 13 - STERLING 9 - Meyer 6 - Werner 4 - Januzaj 4 - Keita 4 - Bruno Fernades 4 - Ocampos 3

Shot accuracy:

STERLING 67% - Keita 66% - Meyer 61% - Werner 58% - Berardi 47% - Ocampos 45% - Januzaj 41% - Bruno Fernandes 41%

Assists:

Werner 5 - STERLING 4 - Januzaj 3 - Bruno Fernandes 3 - Berardi 2 - Meyer 2 - Keita 1 - Ocampos 1

Key passes per game:

STERLING 1.27 - Berardi 1.15 - Meyer 1 - Bruno Fernandes 0.9 - Januzaj 0.88 - Keita 0.57 - Werner 0.52 - Ocampos 0.43

Chances created:

STERLING 38 - Berardi 30 - Meyer 27 - Januzaj 21 - Bruno Fernandes - 19 - Werner 14 - Ocampos 13 - Keita 12

Successful take-ons:

Meyer 79 - STERLING 78 - Werner 40 - Januzaj 40 - Keita 33 - Ocampos 30 - Berardi 24 - Bruno Fernandes 20

Dribbles per game:

Meyer 2.9 - STERLING 2.6 - Januzaj 1.7 - Keita 1.6 - Werner 1.5 - Ocampos 1 - Bruno Fernandes 1 - Berardi 0.9

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