Brendan Rodgers is looking forward to seeing Raheem Sterling again after marvelling at the forward's progression at Manchester City .
The pair were together for Liverpool's memorable 2013/14 title campaign that saw them agonisingly pipped by Manuel Pellegrini's Blues. But when the Anfield club failed to build on that success - they could only finish sixth and were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage - Sterling left the following summer in acrimonious circumstances.
So entrenched were attitudes towards the youngster that he felt compelled to give an interview in April 2015 insisting he was not a "money-grabbing 20-year-old" - but that only seemed to intensify the bad feeling towards him .
Sterling has been consistent throughout in stating the move was down to a desire to win trophies, and he could take his tally as a City player to six by the end of the season as well as claiming the PFA Young Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year recently.
As he drills his Leicester team for a way to stop him , Rodgers warmly remembers coming up against Sterling with Celtic in the Champions League two seasons ago when he ended up with one of his former player's shirts as a sign of gratitude.
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And he confirmed Sterling's side of events that the decision to leave Liverpool was not down to money.
“He was young. Listen, when Raheem left - we know in football now there’s a game that goes on within it - for players to move on," he said .
“There is a game that goes on for players to move on and unfortunately the managers are sometimes blamed. I was always safe in the knowledge that I and Raheem knew what we had given each other.
“We put him in the team. We developed him. And he respected that. But his next challenge and ambition was to move on and I’m so happy with how well he has done.
“He has grown up now, he will be 24 now? For Raheem it was never about money. If it was about money he could have stayed at Liverpool. This was about being the best he could be and at that time there was an opportunity to go to Man City with top class players, and then he has gone into there and developed and become a winner.
“That is clear to see in his game now.”
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