Brendan Rodgers has leapt to the defence of Raheem Sterling, insisting the 19-year-old did not refuse to play for England due to tiredness, reports the Independent.
Sterling has come in for criticism on social media following Roy Hodgson’s claim the forward was ‘complaining of feeling tired’, prior to England’s 1-0 win over Estonia.
But Rodgers has hit back at the England boss, and launched a passionate defence of his player.
Rodgers said: “I’m fed up reading about this club v country row, claims we intervened and put pressure on Roy Hodgson.
“We have taken on board what he has said and taken a decision accordingly. I rested him against Aston Villa and we lost the game. But it was our decision to do so – and our decision alone.
“Last season he said he felt tired before the Manchester City game. We won 3-2 and he put in a man-of-the-match performance.
“The point I’m making is you have to take on board advice from your own people and make your own decision, right or wrong.”
Hodgson questioned Liverpool’s two day recovery programme for faster players following the incident on Sunday, saying: “Raheem might say it is something that is becoming ingrained in him and that he felt the need to talk about being tired more than he would normally do.”
