Sterling: Dr Steve Peters Helped Transform my Liverpool Career

Raheem Sterling believes Liverpool's Sports Psychologist Dr Steve Peters deserves credit for helping him improve and deliver consistent performances throughout the campaign.

The 19-year-old was among the six nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Year award last month owing to his stellar performances in the Premier League this season. Sterling broke into the Liverpool first team the last season but his performance levels diminished towards the second half of the campaign.

This season however, Sterling has made 31 appearances for Brendan Rodgers' side, having scored nine goals and contributing four assists so far. A winger by nature, the youngster has also been deployed as an attacking midfielder, when the Northern Irishman resorts to a diamond formation.

The England international insists that he would not have become versatile if it was not for Dr Peters' advice.

"The way he (Peters) works is brilliant. At first I thought it wasn't for me. On the outside you might think it's complicated, but all the messages are very straightforward," Sterling told Liverpool's official website.

"He understands the players and the emotional side of the game. What he says really helps you. We use a motto 'focus on the ball, focus on the team'. I only thought I could play left wing. But in the first team my best performances have probably been on the right or behind the strikers."

Sterling also confessed that he had sought Dr Peters' guidance before chipping in a Man of the Match contribution for Liverpool during their league fixture against title-rivals Manchester City.

The youngster maintained his composure to score the opening goal as the Reds went on to win the game 3-2 at Anfield last month. He then went on to add two more goals in their subsequent fixture and also set up an assist for Luis Suarez as Rodgers' side beat Norwich City by the same score line at Carrow Road.

"I had a meeting with him before the City game. I thought it was going to last 20-25 minutes. So I walked in, sat down and he just said: 'focus on the ball, focus on the team'. 'Is that it?' I asked him. But it was really important," Sterling explained.

Earlier this year, Roy Hodgson recruited Dr Peters to bolster England's preparations for the summer World Cup in Brazil. Sterling is likely to be among the preliminary 23-man squad, which the Three Lions' boss will reveal on 12 May, before declaring his final squad on 2 June.