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John Barnes has issued a warning to Raheem Sterling that he may ‘get lost in the game’ if he gets tempted to join either Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Sterling has been in superb form this season for the Merseyside club, scoring three goals in his last seven appearances.
The England international has been in negotiations over a new contract at Anfield since the turn of the year, whilst talk of interest from a number of top European clubs has also been made known.
However, former midfielder Barnes believes that he should remain at the club and not be tempted to join the likes of Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair, who joined Manchester City, but failed to establish themselves.
“If I was Raheem Sterling I would stay with Liverpool for the next three years,” he told Hinch.as.
“I’ve seen it with other young players, a lot to do with their agents, a lot to do with the money they have been offered, that they rush off to big clubs.
“Of course Liverpool is a big club, but the temptation must be to go to Real Madrid or Barcelona or wherever, but the danger is that you can be lost to the game, and I can give you so many examples, like Jack Rodwell who went too early to Manchester City and Scott Sinclair who also went to Manchester City.
“With all due respect to clubs like that, they might turn out to be worse for them, and they end up going back and then not getting a move again.
“I would advise young players not to rush, but to stay at their clubs until they are 23 or 24.
“I went to Liverpool at the age of 23 by which time I was a 35-cap international players who could handle it.
“Raheem Sterling going to Real Madrid probably won’t play every week, probably will play under enormous pressure to perform as a £50 million superstar, whereas at Liverpool the fans will accept that he doesn’t play well all the time.
“I would urge him and players like [Everton’s] Ross Barkley to stay where they are, and move clubs in three or four years time.”
