Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling says World Cup ‘was a learning curve for me’

The 19 year old featured heavily at his first senior international tournament but Roy Hodgson’s England side failed to make the knockout stage and came home early.

Liverpool's midfielder Raheem Sterling, 19, played for England at the World Cup and despite the team's early exit, Sterling said the expiernece was a learning curve for him. AFP PHOTO/PAUL ELLIS
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Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling has pledged to learn from England’s chastening experience at the World Cup.

The 19 year old featured heavily at his first senior international tournament but Roy Hodgson’s side failed to make the knockout stage and came home early.

Sterling is looking to build on his short stay in Brazil and take it into a new season with his club with Uefa Champions League football on the horizon.

“For any young person to be involved in such a big tournament is obviously a great experience and it was no different for myself,” he told LoopJamaica.com.

“It was a good feeling to get out there on the pitch and show the world what I could do really.

“Obviously on a team performance [level] we are disappointed with how the tournament went.

“We would have liked to be in the tournament up until now and all the way to the final but that was not the case.

“It was a learning curve for me - an experience I am willing to learn from.

“Hopefully we build from this World Cup experience and go even further in the next four years.”

While some of his Liverpool teammates who were not involved in the World Cup have returned to pre-season training Sterling is currently on holiday in his native Jamaica.

But that has not stopped him thinking about the campaign ahead after a second-place finish last season raised expectations.

“Last season we did really well as a team. This season we will just go in the same as we did last year and take it step by step, week in week out,” he added.

“Hopefully we can do well as a team and a collective. We will be going out there on a positive note and hopefully we can do what we know we can do.”

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