Manchester City attacker Raheem Sterling admits former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard forced him to step up his application.

Sterling made his professional debut for Liverpool in 2012 when Gerrard was club captain, and went on to establish himself as a first-team regular before leaving for Manchester City in 2015.

"Coming through at Liverpool I had people around me like Steven Gerrard that I looked up to," Sterling said after receiving the Integrity and Impact award at the BT Sport Industry Awards on Thursday.

"Looking at him and thinking what can I do within myself to be half the person and player he was.

"You take little things and each year and day you try to develop and become better, not just on the field but off it as well."