Carra: Raheem has a big future
Jamie Carragher has praised the performance of Raheem Sterling after the youngster made his full debut during Liverpool's 1-0 win against Hearts on Thursday night.
On a night when Tynecastle provided a hostile and raucous backdrop and Hearts proved obstinate opposition, Sterling was an outlet on the Reds' left flank, cutting inside to carve opportunities for the side.
And Carragher believes the youngster can have a big future at the club following in the footsteps of a long list of successful Academy graduates from down the years.
"I think the way the manager wants to play is with wide men and that suits Raheem down to the ground," he said.
"He's come in and he's done very well. He's only a 17-year-old and it looks like he's got a big future at the club.
"This club's got a great tradition of bringing young players through and we brought another one on tonight in Adam Morgan. He's also come through the Academy and Raheem's got a few starts now this season."
An Andy Webster own goal means Liverpool take a 1-0 advantage into the home leg of the Europa League play-off at Anfield in a week's time.
And Carragher admitted that while it was a difficult night north of the border, a win over a tough Hearts side will stand the Reds in good stead to qualify.
"It was a very difficult game and sometimes these games are more difficult than when you play against the so-called big names in football," explained Carragher. "We knew they would come out flying.
"It's a very tight pitch and there's not much space on there for us to try and pass the ball. We tried to pass and at times early on we got caught because of their great pressure.
"The atmosphere was fantastic and great credit to Hearts, I think they've come out of the game really well. We're pleased to come away with the result.
"Now we can all look forward to Manchester City, which will be a massive game. A new manager has come in and he's finding his feet. We're all getting used to each other.
"Getting the side to where we want it to be doesn't have to be a slow process. The pre-season has gone really well. Obviously we got a bit of a bump at West Brom and we didn't want that result. So it was nice to come here and get the result after a difficult game."