Raheem Sterling feeling benefits of Liverpool rest, says England coach

England Under-21 coach Brian Eastick believes Raheem Sterling has been revitalised after being rested by Liverpool in recent months.

The 18-year-old has not featured for the Reds senior side since their aggregate defeat by Zenit St Petersburg in the Europa League last-32 in February.

And Sterling has only started two Premier League games in 2013 after a run of 16 straight top-flight matches in Brendan Rodgers’s starting line-up at the start of the season.

The former Queens Park Rangers youth graduate, who earned his first Three Lions cap in November, starred in England Under-21’s 3-0 victory over Romania on Thursday – and Eastick reckons Sterling needed the break from first-team action at club level.

“He was very good. Brendan has obviously rested him a little bit recently,” Eastick said.

“He hasn’t played a great deal of football of late so getting a game under his belt with benefit him. He is a talented player and I think possibly that rest has helped.

“Brendan felt he had to take him out of the firing line a little bit at Liverpool. He is a very young player and people forget how young he is. You do need to rest players at the right time.

“Possibly it has done him a little bit of good and he enjoyed his game against Romania. His performance was very good.”