Bringing Raheem Sterling back to Liverpool can only improve Jurgen Klopp's squad, according to Anfield legend Ian Rush.
The Reds signed the England international from Queens Park Rangers when he was just a teenager, before he broke into the first XI alongside Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge under Brendan Rodgers in a side that came within a whisker of winning the Premier League title.
Sterling has since gone on to enjoy huge success with Manchester City, winning three Premier League titles. But he has found himself in and out of the current team and there have been suggestions he could now look for a way out of Pep Guardiola's squad with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2023. Rush, Liverpool's all-time recorder goalscorer, says a return to Anfield is certainly something that could be considered for the 27-year-old, having worked with him at youth level.
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In an exclusive interview with Gambling.com, Rush said: “I rate Raheem very highly as a player and although he doesn’t always get the credit he deserves, his statistics speak for themselves. I remember him as a young lad at Liverpool – I coached him a few times. He was always very quick and he reminded me a lot of Michael Owen back then because he was so fast he’d create chances for himself with his breath-taking speed.
"People might not put his finishing in Owen’s category these days but he’s still a special player and City are lucky to have him. His relationship with Pep Guardiola has been hot and cold for a number of years now so it wouldn’t surprise me if he ran his contract down. If he was available on a free transfer next summer, would I take him back at Liverpool? On a professional basis, you’d have to say he’d improve the squad.
"I can’t see it happening though because free transfers generally come with enormous wage demands and, since Sterling will be 28 next summer, it’s not the sort of deal the Liverpool owners like to buy in to. He could do a job for anyone in the league, but the manner in which he left Liverpool for City in 2015 would likely prompt opposition from some fans, which would be another stumbling block.
"I can’t see Liverpool going in for him, if I’m honest, but any of the other top teams in the league – or abroad – could do a lot worse than signing Sterling on a free if he were to run his contract down next year.”
Sterling has gone on to make 221 Premier League appearances for Manchester City, scoring 88 goals, after leaving Anfield under a cloud in 2015.
