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Raheem Sterling may be only 18 but he has already experienced the glorious highs and crushing lows of life in professional football.

A year ago in Boston he was a rookie on the fringes of the Liverpool FC squad with three substitute appearances under his belt trying to impress new boss Brendan Rodgers.

Twelve months on, as Sterling takes a seat in the team’s Bangkok hotel, life has changed dramatically.

The 18-year-old packed a lot into his breakthrough campaign. After shining on his full league debut against Manchester City, Sterling cemented a regular place in Rodgers’s side.

His rate of progress was such that a first England cap against Sweden followed in November and before Christmas he penned a lucrative new contract.

In pictures: Raheem Sterling's emergence at LFC

However, his fairytale run didn’t last. His form and confidence dipped and he slipped down the pecking order before a serious thigh injury ended his season in March.

Sterling also had to deal with the stress of allegations of assault hanging over him before they were dropped in May.

Yet all that belongs in the past. Happy and relaxed, Sterling is now looking to the future and is determined to recapture the blistering performances which propelled him on the route to stardom.

“Highs and lows are part of the game,” he said. “All the senior players have experienced that. You are never going to have a career where everything goes your way.

“The start of last season was great for me. To get that many opportunities to play at such a high level for such a great football club, I was really grateful to Brendan for that. Playing for England was one of the best moments of my life.

“When I was out injured all I could think about was getting back playing again. It’s great to be back out there and getting some minutes in the friendlies. I want to get back to the sharpness I had at the start of last season. It’s been on my mind all pre-season.

“I didn’t think so at the time, but the break I had probably did me good. You want to play as many games as you can but mentally as well as physically I probably needed a rest.

“At the time there were a few things going on off the field. That time I spent out means I’m raring to go for the new season.

“Now it’s up to me. I need to kick-on and prove I really did deserve those call-ups; that it wasn’t just a fluke. I have a lot to prove this season.”

Latest pictures from LFC's pre-season tour

Sterling’s battle back to fitness wasn’t straightforward. What began as simply a bruised right thigh developed into something more serious. The niggling injury hampered him for months before the Reds took him out of the firing line in March.

He now has a specially tailored training programme designed to ensure the problem doesn’t return.

“I did it training with the under-21s,” he said.

“I got a hit on the thigh. I got some bruising there and didn’t really think anything about it, but then there was some internal bleeding and it started to get solid.

“Around December the pain started and it affected my performances. I think the dip in my form was purely down to my injury. I just wasn’t as sharp as I had been before. I was like a snail when I got the ball.

“The injury slowed me down and mentally I was tired from playing so many games. As a young player, I understand you need to be brought out of the team sometimes. I had played a lot of games by that point.

“It’s a chronic injury so it’s one where even though I’m back, I need to keep having treatment on it and looking after it.

“I’ve got to be really professional and careful but I am over it now and I’m feeling 100%.”

Sterling has proved that’s the case with his performances in pre-season so far. He has impressed Rodgers with his attitude and application as well as his ability on this trip.

In pictures: Sterling and Coutinho fire Reds to win over Indonesia XI

Tomorrow’s final tour game against Thailand in Bangkok tomorrow (kick-off 11.45am UK time) will bring the curtain down on a memorable fortnight for the Jamaica-born winger.

“I went to America and Canada last year but I have never seen anything like this,” he said.

“The fans have been unbelievable. I feel lucky to be a part of something like this.

“The whole team have been mobbed wherever we’ve gone in Indonesia, Australia and Thailand.

“To walk out in front of 45,000 people at Anfield is amazing, so to play in front of 80,000 in Jakarta and then 95,000 in Melbourne really is a dream come true.

“Not many players can say they have played in front of that many supporters. I am just really happy to be a part of this group and playing for a club with such great support.”

When Liverpool return to Merseyside on Monday, there will be little time to recover before preparations begin for Steven Gerrard’s testimonial against Olympiacos at Anfield next Saturday.

It’s a game Sterling is relishing being a part of considering the advice and support the skipper has given him.

“For all the lads, Steven Gerrard is an inspiration and out of all the players here he’s the one I’ve looked up to more than anyone,” Sterling said.

“I can’t speak highly enough of him. When you consider what he has achieved for the football club, he’s so down to earth.

“He’s one of the best players to have ever played for Liverpool and to get the chance to play alongside him is amazing.

“When I watched him score that goal against West Ham in the FA Cup final, I never thought that one day I’d play in the same team as him. It’s a dream come true.

“I’m just grateful we have him at the football club for me to learn from.”