Adel Taarabt has revealed that he was idolised by Manchester City star Raheem Sterling when they were teammates at Queens Park Rangers.

Taarabt was at QPR for a total of six years, starting with a loan move and eventually signing a permanent deal.

During that first season, Sterling was in the club's academy. The latter went on to join Liverpool in 2010.

"Raheem Sterling texted me a few months ago. I was listening to an interview where he said I was his idol at QPR," Taarabt told FourFourTwo.

"These days it would be Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, but when he was a kid he watched me!"