Huge wages ruining young players, warns Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers

Raheem Sterling is on £30,000 a week and could land a more lucrative contract in the near future[GETTY]

He believes that the best home grown talent can be hurt through greed and a loss of drive to reach the top.

It’s why Liverpool are treading carefully when it comes to discussions with Anfield youngsters like their England star Raheem Sterling.

Sterling was satisfied with a £30,000 a week contract 18 months ago and there is talk of another increased deal in the pipeline.

While Rodgers was keen to point out that the 19-year-ancient remains well grounded he can’t say the same about other emerging England born players around the country.

He said: “I think we need to be careful. Please don’t be putting too much on the British players and English players because they get satisfied and I think that’s partially what kills them in this country.

“We just have to be careful because when you reward young players too quickly you give them too much and too early, then that will be their breakdown.

“It’s a big problem with British players. Why? Because the reward is no longer there, they lose their hunger. Young players driving about – I say driving about – they buy a new Range Rover Sports before they have even got their driving licence or passed their test.

“Over half the world watch the Premier League. Our young players get carried away then they wonder why their careers fall away. It’s because they get satisfied too early.”

Contracts of £60,000 a week for English players barely out of their teens are common place in the Premier League. “Is it the fault of the clubs? Absolutely.”Rodgers added. “Tales (about new contracts) start to start and the young players start to wonder and wonder. Then their mind comes off where their focus should be which is football.”

Meanwhile Rodgers will only turn to former Chelsea star Samuel Eto’o as a last resort. Although an admirer of the 33-year-ancient the Liverpool boss is looking at other younger strikers to help fill the gap left by Luis Suarez’s £75 million departure to Barcelona.

If there is no breakthrough as the transfer deadline approaches and Eto’o is still available then the Kop boss could go in for the Cameroon global.