Former Manchester United defender Kevin Moran has questioned Liverpool's handling of Raheem Sterling's contract row.

Writing in the Sunday World, Moran opined: "I don't believe the Raheem Sterling business during the week had an actual effect on the players' performances. But it is a bad sign for the future of Liverpool when a superb talent, barely out of his teens, is doubtful about committing some portion of the next ten years of his career to the club.

"I believe Liverpool have handled this whole Sterling contract thing very badly. Don't start a big fuss about a player's contract just when the season is reaching a high point. It should all be kept in-house and then dealt with during the summer!

"Never go public on things like that. you just encourage other clubs to sniff around your best players. I mean, it's not as though Sterling can leave next week, he is under contract until the summer of 2017. Maybe Liverpool will get it together, on and off the pitch, over the next three days, but I'd have my doubts."