Raheem Sterling insists his new deal with Liverpool was never in doubt. There has been a perception that Sterling is a cocky young man but that is far removed from the truth; his team-mates tell of him being humble, grounded and eager to learn. Sterling puts that down to the influence of his mother, Nadine.

"The contract was never about finance," said Sterling to the Daily Mail. "I just really wanted to get the contract sorted. When people were asking why I wasn't signing it was at a time when we hadn't even started negotiating.

"Will I get distracted? No. I've got a good mum who always looks after me and helps me to keep my head down so that's good. It's obviously good that my mum has moved up here with my brothers and sisters because it's a good feeling to be with your family."