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Strolling into Liverpool's impressive youth Academy, Raheem Sterling glances casually up at the wall, where the names of some of the most illustrious graduates are always proudly displayed.

His stride freezes, his eyes widen, and then glaze for a second. There, proudly sitting between Fowler and Gerrard, is a red shirt with the number 31 emblazoned on it, and a familiar name above.

"It wasn't there when I was here originally. When I first walked in I was like, 'What's that doing up there?' I couldn't stop staring at it at first," he admits with a slightly embarrassed, almost shy smile.

"Obviously it is nice to see things like that there are some great names on display there and it is a bit of surprise to see my name among them."

It is easy to forget the player dubbed as the future of English football, and indeed probably the national team's only great hope, is just 19, and just two years ago, was sitting alongside all the other excited kids, hoping and praying he would one day see his image on the wall.

Sterling is not yet cynical enough to see his name next to Liverpool skipper Gerrard as anything other than a massive compliment, and one he feels he still doesn't probably yet deserve.

He is here at the Academy to mentor some of the many children who give so much of their young lives to the club, in an attempt to follow the footsteps of their heroes.

He doesn't have to go very far back to put himself exactly in their shoes and position himself as a role model.

"I remember I was training hard at the academy and the manager gave me an opportunity and I would like to think that I have taken that opportunity," he says of his time at the youth training centre.

"Hopefully it can be an example to the other kids here now at the Academy that this is a manager who does give you a chance to train with the first team and play games.

"Being at the Academy it was hard to think where your future lies. You just thought about playing football and didn't really think about much else at the time, but now there is pressure on you and it is amazing."

Sterling can tell you all about amazing pressure, or at least scrutiny.

The attention he has had over the last 12 months has been nothing short of remarkable, going from a youth team recruit to playing a key role in almost winning the title, and then the small matter of a World Cup finals, where he kept Wayne Rooney out of his favoured position.

Most testing of all though, as been the continuing fall out from the now infamous situation, where he indicated to England manager he was feeling a little leg-weary...and all hell broke loose. So how someone so young cope with that attention?

(Image: Getty)

"It was pretty difficult. I tried to not really watch TV much or listen to things. If I saw on TV that a conversation was about me then I would turn over and not listen and try and play it down. It was different," he says now, with another half smile.

"It was the first time I had to deal with anything like that. It was different as I say but I felt I dealt with it really well. I didn't read too much into it. If I've learnt something from it, then it is to just shut off.

"I was always on my phone and Instagram - stuff like that - and thing would just pop up and you could not go past it without having a look, but now I have learned to block it all out and do not read what is said about you and just do my best for Liverpool and England."

Social media has changed the stakes for many of these modern cultural icons (and that's what top footballers now are). Sterling has more than a million twitter followers, and has even inspired a fake account called @tiredsterling...which posts a series of tweets on the subject of being weary. And has 20,000 followers. Really.

Liverpool have always maintained Hodgson handled the whole situation badly, leaving their player hanging out to dry when he had merely done what he had been trained to do at the Academy...be honest to help the team.

Now, he prefers not to dwell too long on the subject, but he does admit to a little frustration - especially at being portrayed as someone who didn't want to play.

"I just want to play football, I am someone who just loves playing football for club or country. If anything I said got taken the wrong way I am sorry about that, but it doesn't matter where it is I am happy to play football," he says ruefully.

Raheem Sterling Liverpool stats 101 Games 17 Goals Up to December 19 2014

"When I was at the Academy, all I thought about was playing, and enjoying playing. That's what I want to do, just focus and enjoy my football again."

According to his manager Brendan Rodgers, that is one of the great qualities of a player he believes is arguably the best young talent in the world right now. He is someone ignore the pressure and focus on the game heloves.

"It is incredible to think as he sits there now he is just 19 years of age and carries all those hopes on his shoulders for his country and club," the Reds boss explains.

"This last period has been difficult for everyone but he has handled it really well. It is something I now expect from him because he has matured a lot in these last couple of years."

That maturity, the manager explains, has allowed Sterling to grow up rapidly: "One of the early signs for me was when he used to come into the office to talk - I never thought he was listening. A lot of it was concentration.

"Now I see his eyes engage and he is taking it on board. Over time and with experience he has really learned to grow up."

With any growing up comes responsibility...and expectation, both in behaviour and performance. He takes both seriously, offering wisdom to the kids who want to follow him.

(Image: Getty)

"My advice to any youngster now would be: get better every day, not just in playing, but everything," he says.

"That was probably my slight weakness in that I was not leading the lifestyle I should have been off the pitch - ie, not resting when I should have been, stuff like that. That is something I have brought in with maturity, having that rest period I should have."

There is also the small matter of being the man most fans are looking towards, to drag the team out of their current malaise. Again, he is happy to take that.

"Imposing myself, taking responsibility, is something I need to deal with if I want to get to the level I feel I can reach. It is something I need to accept and hopefully I can cope with it.

"We can turn it around. We just need that one game and result to kick us on. Even in the last game against Chelsea I thought it was a game that could have turned our season round straight away.

"Hopefully it will be Palace on Sunday. One result and one performance and I think the confidence will be really back up there."

*Raheem Sterling visited the Academy with the full first team squad and Liverpool Ladies to inspire, educate and encourage the Club's young players.

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