Sterling 'sick' after telling Liverpool he doesn't want to tour

Andy Hampson 04:43 09/07/2015
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  • Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling did not report for training on Wednesday citing illness, according to reports. The development comes following rumours the unsettled England international requested not to participate in the club’s pre-season tour of the Far East and Australia.

    Liverpool began pre-season training this week but it is believed Sterling telephoned on Wednesday morning to say that he was unwell. The club have not commented on the situation.

    Sterling, 20, has been the subject of two failed bids from Manchester City this summer, believed to have been worth up to £30 million and £40m (Dh169.3-225.7 million). The player, who has two years remaining on his contract at Anfield, rejected an offer of a new £100,000-per-week deal (Dh 564,340) earlier this year.

    It is understood that Sterling spoke to manager Brendan Rodgers this week and informed him that he did not want to travel on the pre-season tour. Rodgers and his squad are due to fly out on Sunday ahead of their first friendly against a Thai All Stars side in Bangkok next Tuesday.

    Since reports of Sterling’s tour request emerged, a mobile phone number purportedly of the player’s has been posted online with disgruntled fans encouraged to use it to send abusive messages. The club have not commented on whether the number is genuine.

    The Sterling saga is becoming increasingly acrimonious with the player seemingly intent on forcing through a move.

    City have maintained a silence on the issue but it is claimed they could be preparing another bid of around £50 million (Dh 282.1m).

    Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes the way the whole affair is playing out could be causing long-lasting damage to Sterling’s standing.

    “He’s starting to get a reputation that could be hard to rid himself of in the future,” Carragher wrote on www.kicca.com.

    “Are Man City fans looking at the situation and thinking this could be us in a few years? I think this situation will only make Liverpool more determined to get the fee they feel Raheem is worth rather than caving in to Raheem’s and Man City’s wishes.”

    Meanwhile, new Liverpool striker Danny Ings insists he only ever had eyes for Anfield.

    The 22-year-old moved to the club from relegated Burnley at the end of his contract, with a fee for the England Under-21 internation- al set to be decided by tribunal.

    Having scored 11 Premier League goals for Sean Dyche’s struggling side as they finished 19th in the table and dropped back down to the Championship after just a single top-flight campaign, Ings was attracting interest from across Europe.

    The likes of Manchester United, Tottenham and Real Sociedad were all heavily linked with a move for the former Bournemouth youngster – but it was Liverpool who won the race for his signature and Ings did not want to be anywhere else.

    “As soon as I knew that Liverpool were interested, it was a no-brainer,” he told LFCTV. “It was the only club on my mind, to be fair.

    “With all the history that’s here… it’s definitely a massive step in my career and I’m over the moon.”

    No Liverpool striker reached double-figures in terms of league goals last season, with an injury-hit campaign for Daniel Sturridge leaving the England international with just four.

    Last summer’s new arrivals Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli managed two and one respectively, whilst wantaway winger Sterling scored seven and former skipper Steven Gerrard topped the charts with nine.

    But Ings is looking forward to playing alongside Sturridge, who was much more impressive the previous year as he scored 21 goals in a lethal partnership with Luis Suarez.

    “He’s an unbelievable striker,” Ings said of Sturridge. “He is one of those players who has come through the ranks, he has not had it easy. He’s a talented football player I can learn from.” 

    James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Adam Bogdan, Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez have also all joined Brendan Rodgers’ ranks at Anfield this summer as the club look to improve on last season’s sixth-placed finish.

    While Ings will be looking to add goals, he decided to relieve any weight on his shoulders by turning down the chance to wear an iconic squad number – opting instead for number 28.

    “I had a chat with my agent and a few friends and we thought that moving to such a big club like this, you need to take all the pressure off yourself,” he added. 

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