Liverpool's England star Raheem Sterling was rejected by Tottenham as a junior player, it has been revealed.
The claims are made in Michael Calvin's book The Nowhere Men, an extract of which appears on the Telegraph.
Spurs missed out on the chance to sign Sterling for just £200,000 because the club's academy coaches weren't convinced about his long-term prospects.
Mark Anderson, Liverpool's youth scout, said: "I couldn't believe my eyes.
"There were some raw edges, but he was the best thing I'd ever seen.
"I flagged him up immediately, and watched him countless times. He produced something special in every game, showed me everything."
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