The Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has said that the entire Liverpool squad should come in support of the 17-year-old youngster Raheem Sterling, as he attempts to make it into the Liverpool squad. The Liverpool squad in recent seasons has seen arrival of a few youngsters from the youth academy like Martin Kelly. However, the 17-year-old prospect Raheem Sterling has been spoken of as the next big thing to come from the Liverpool Academy since the days of Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard. The former Chelsea and Portsmouth defender Glen Johnson has said that it is the duty of the Liverpool squad to support Raheem Sterling as he encounters the pressure of playing in the first-team of one of the biggest clubs in the world.
The new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has decided to use the exciting talent Raheem Sterling in the matches against Manchester city and Arsenal, which shows a lot of confidence in the player. However, the England international Glen Johnson reckons that it will still be tough for Raheem Sterling to settle in the first team without the help of the teammates. He has recalled his memories of coming through the ranks, and getting help from a number of first-team players.
“We’ve got a great bunch of lads and everyone makes everyone feel welcome. Raheem is 17-years-old but you make him feel like one of the lads because he is and he deserves to be here. It makes him feel more comfortable – and more comfortable when he’s going into games, which is going to help him and the team. You have to encourage the young lads. When I first came through, I had people like Stuart Pearce and other big players helping me,” said Glen Johnson. Liverpool have made a poor start to the new season and are currently in the relegation zone.