Steve McManaman has tipped Raheem Sterling to be a potential game-changer if he's given a chance to star for England at the World Cup.

The former Liverpool midfielder has been impressed with the 19-year-old's advancement for the Reds, and feels he has the effervescence to spark the Three Lions in Brazil.

Sterling picked up the Young Player of the Year prize at the club's awards evening, in acknowledgment of a fantastic campaign in which he scored nine Barclays Premier League goals and contributed five assists.

"I hope somebody lights up the World Cup for England, and that player could be Raheem Sterling," McManaman told the Daily Mail.

"He had a magnificent season for Liverpool and he has really progressed this year. He is exciting...

"We have several youngsters who have bags of potential but I don't like to go overboard on a lot of the younger players because as a nation we put too much pressure.

"The main thing is they go, they improve, they experience the journey, they know what tournament football's about. Then, in two years' time, they will be better equipped and the Euros are going to be in France, on the European continent, and they'll perform even better then.

"Then hopefully in four years' time, when it's in Russia, we'll have a real good squad of players with a huge amount of talent, a huge amount of experience, that we can take to the next level."

Sterling will relish being a part of the England squad in Brazil, having admitted at the 2010 edition of the World Cup in South Africa, he was watching Steven Gerrard score the Three Lions' opening goal while savouring a slice of pizza at home.