Manchester City veteran Fabian Delph has heaped praise on teammate Raheem Sterling.

Sterling, insists Delph, now belongs at the top tier of today's stars.

“I joined City with Raheem, so for me to see Raheem's ­development and to push him, to be that voice in his ear, I still felt very much part of it," said Delph.

"He's an amazing young man and people ­forget he's only 24.

“When we both signed he was 19 and he physically looked like a little baby.

“People always questioned what type of player he would be and whether he would go to the next level, but I was like, 'This kid has everything, once he finds his path and what works for him, you're going to see something incredible'.

“I believe he's operating at about 80 per cent, so if he can push himself a little more – which he will because his mindset is very good – in the next couple of years the sky's the limit.

“I'm speaking from knowing ­Raheem since he was 19 and seeing his progression. Right now, he's one of the best players in the world."