EPL: Liverpool manager Rodgers vows to talk to Sterling about behaviour

Liverpool Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admitted he will talk to Raheem Sterling about his responsibilities as a professional footballer after a video emerged of the player apparently inhaling nitrous oxideLiverpool manager Brendan Rodgers PicAFPThe Sun newspaper published a clip of England international Sterling supposedly taking the legal high commonly known as laughing gas on their website during Liverpools 20 win over Newcastle United Sterling who scored in the win over Newcastle which helped Liverpool close the gap on fourthplaced Manchester City in the Premier League to four points has been under intense scrutiny recentlyThe 20yearold forward was pictured smoking from a shisha pipe last weekend and recently revealed in an interview that he turned down a lucrative contract at Anfield which saw him lightheartedly heckled at Liverpools kit launch Rodgers said For me it is something that when you are a professional sportsperson at the top I dont think it is something you should be doingIt is as simple as that But I will speak to him We want players here who are superprofessional and focused on their football He very much is Its very simple Ill speak to Raheem on that It will be dealt with internally Like Ive said before young players make mistakes He is a young kid who is in the spotlight now He knows the demands of being a top class player and professional both on and off the fieldRodgers wholeheartedly praised Sterlings influence on the pitch as he helped the Reds return to winning ways after backtoback defeats to Manchester United and Arsenal Sterling scored a sublime opening goal in the ninth minute before Joe Allen added Liverpools second after the break while Newcastle had captain Moussa Sissoko sent off for a secondbookable offenceYou see the way Raheem plays Rodgers added He is a kid that is very strong willed and strong minded He should have had a hattrick his performance was outstanding him and Coutinho He is very valuable He is a kid who is nonstop he wants to learn and improve himself I thought he was outstanding tonight Wonderful skill and ability for his goal He presses the ball so wellIt is one where internally we will always look after these type of players Rodgers revealed that Daniel Sturridge missed the game with a hip injury and is uncertain whether he will be fit for their FA Cup semifinal with Aston Villa on Sunday Rodgers said He will hopefully be ok for the weekend I will know more in the week He feels reasonably fine so we are hoping by the middle of the week we will have an indication where he is atRodgers confirmed that Italy striker Mario Balotelli was still absent with an onoff sickness while defender Mamadou Sakho will be missing for three or four weeks with a hamstring problem Carver encouraged Despite this being their fifth straight league defeat Newcastle manager John Carver was encouraged by the performance of his side following their derby defeat to rivals Sunderland Carver said I think we got a responseWe didnt get a result but I saw enough There are lot of positives to take from the game A lot of people expected us to get a hiding and I think we held our own for the majority of the game We have gone toe to toe with them The pleasing thing there is we have responded from that dreadful performance against Sunderland Newcastle were denied a penalty when Dejan Lovren brought down Ayoze Perez a decision which infuriated CarverHe said People in the game understand the game and I think Liverpool fans understand the game like Newcastle fans do and the reaction of them told me it was a penalty Brendan said it was a penalty Sissoko was shown a second yellow card for a late tackle on Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva and Carver acknowledged he was fortunate not to be sent off straight away The sending off it could have been a straight red I will be honest Carver added