Wednesday 20 May 2015

Award winner Raheem Sterling booed

Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling was booed by fans at the club's end-of-season award ceremony.

The 20-year-old rejected a new contract from the Reds back in January and reports emerged on Monday - subsequently played down by his agent Aidy Ward - that he will tell the club this week he will not sign another deal.

Sterling, who earlier been presented to the crowd alongside fans' favourite Philippe Coutinho, picked up Young Player of the Year award.

However, as he made a short acceptance speech there were shouts of 'Stay Raheem' and as he finished speaking and left the stage there were audible boos from some of the 3,000 fans assembled at the rear of the Echo Arena in the city.

When his name was mentioned in a video montage moments later there were more jeers.

Sterling has two years left on his current deal but rejected a reported £100,000-a-week offer earlier this year and negotiations were put on hold until the end of the season.

Suggestions he will now not agree to a new deal have generally been viewed as another public relations disaster by Sterling's camp, after a pre-arranged television interview in April in which the youngster claimed he was not a "money-grabber".

A dip in performance this season has not helped him, while the row over whether he was too tired to play in a Euro 2016 qualifier back in October soured his relationship with England fans also.

And regular links with the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Bayern Munich have led to accusations his head has been turned.

However, Ward, the 20-year-old's long-time representative, said he and the player were always scheduled to meet Reds officials this week and insists they will move forward from there.

"The story has been blown somewhat out of proportion," he said in a statement to talkSPORT.

"Raheem and his representatives have a meeting scheduled with Liverpool later this week, and we will take proceedings from there."

- Source: Eurosport 

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