Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has jumped to the defence of England teammate Raheem Sterling.

The Manchester City midfielder is under pressure to keep his place for England's next World Cup game.

In a passionate defence of former Liverpool team-mate Sterling and his performance against Tunisia, the Reds' captain declared: “I don't think there should be any 'noise' around his performance the other night.

“I look at what he did for the team and what he brings to England with his pace to run in behind and dropping in and linking the play and I think he is a big player for us.

“He is always a threat. He works hard. He is used to the scrutiny now and I think he handles it all very well."

Henderson added: “He was phenomenal for City last season, scoring more than 20 goals.

“If other players had the season he had, I think we would be talking about it a lot more than we seem to do with Raheem. To score that many goals shows he is doing something right.

"If they are not [already], I think everyone needs to get behind him."