Brendan Rodgers Rages over Raheem Sterling Liverpool vs. England Row

Brendan Rodgers insists Roy Hodgson took a "managerial decision" not to start Raheem Sterling against Estonia, blasting the "rubbish" stories which suggest he and the club interfered to stop the exciting talent representing his country.

Sterling complained of fatigue prior to England's Euro 2016 qualifier in Tallinn but came off the bench to win the free-kick that Wayne Rooney dispatched for the winner.

Uproar followed the match as Hodgson publicly announced Sterling had admitted he was too tired to start, per BBC Sport, a revelation that has led to his club boss, national manager and the player himself being criticised.

Rodgers has stoked the fire once more ahead of the Premier League's return and Sterling's likely appearance against Queens Park Rangers on Sunday. The Reds boss wanted to make it clear he gave no instructions to rest the 19-year-old winger, per Paul Smith of The Independent:

"

I'm fed up reading about this club v country, claims we intervened and put pressure on Roy Hodgson. I've read we sent a dossier to the FA on Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge and I'm having showdown talks with Roy Hodgson on Sunday and all sorts of rubbish. The decision not to play him was a managerial decision. I haven't said a single word but have to say I have never seen such rubbish written over the past few days.

"

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The Liverpool manager continued by saying: "At no point did Raheem Sterling say he didn't want to play for England." Rodgers said Sterling is "being hung out to dry" and "the criticism will continue for a few more weeks" because of the press reaction to a situation which needn't cause such controversy.

It's fair to say the amount of time Sterling plays will certainly come under the spotlight heading into next month's international break.

Rodgers has only failed to start Sterling once in all competitions this season—during the 1-0 loss to Aston Villa—and even utilised the youngster for 120 minutes during the Capital One Cup win over Middlesbrough.

This was perhaps unnecessary and represented the perfect opportunity for Sterling to regain his legs.

The starlet's game is all about speed, incision and sharpness. Sterling is currently the third-most prolific dribbler in the Premier League based on average stats, having completed 2.9 runs with the ball at his feet per match, recorded by WhoScored. Only Eden Hazard (5.1) and Erik Lamela (3.0) outscore him per appearance.

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He is also the joint-second most-fouled player with 2.6 overzealous tackles heading his way on average every time he steps onto the pitch, alongside Hazard. Steven Naismith (2.7) currently leads the way in this area.

Darren Lewis of the Mirror published stats from EA Sports' Player Performance Index which also showed Sterling spends more time sprinting than any other individual in the division, noted below:

Player	Minutes Played	Sprints	Top Speed	Miles Run	Distance Walked	Distance Sprinted
David Silva	619	327	30.5 km/h	44.1	70.9 metres	742 metres
Eden Hazard	627	357	33.9 km/h	41.1	206.9 metres	1195 metres
Raheem Sterling	589	404	34.3 km/h	39.7	629.8 metres	2381 metres

What we can see is a player who relies on bursts of pace to get away from the opposition. Sterling is more likely to take it easy with a walk, but he is also more prolific when turning on the afterburners.

John Cross of the Mirror believes the developing star will want to represent England's under-21 side in next summer's European Championships to show he can keep up with the schedule of modern football, something Gary Lineker believes is a smart idea:

"

All our star under 21 players should go to the finals next summer if fit. Wonderful tournament experience. Other countries insist on it.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) October 16, 2014"

"

I get managers me, me, me attitude, but wouldn't it be refreshing if, for once, they thought about the good of the national game?

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) October 16, 2014"

Sterling has plenty of development years ahead of him, so his need for an occasional rest shouldn't be dismissed. It is more important the player remains honest and doesn't let his teams down by putting in tired shifts than playing every minute just to satisfy both managers and the press.

He is a potentially world-class star whose progression should be monitored like any other teenager footballer: with adequate rest.

Rodgers is likely to start Sterling against QPR, not out of defiance but because Liverpool need him on the pitch. He will have had nearly a week's rest when Sunday's encounter comes round and is more than capable of influencing a match Liverpool should comfortably win.