RAHEEM STERLING hopes to fulfil a dream by being selected for Liverpool’s FA Cup tie with Mansfield Town.
But the talented teenager is more concerned with seeing the Reds build on their promising start to the New Year after Wednesday night’s 3-0 win over Sunderland made it back-to-back wins.
Sterling opened the scoring in midweek and wants to play his part in Brendan Rodgers’ side ironing out the inconsistencies which have interrupted their season.
Although unsure if the manager will ask him to face the non-league side in the Cup on Sunday afternoon, the 18-year-old would relish the chance to play and hopefully score in a second win of the calendar year.
“If I feature on Sunday it’ll be the first time I’ve ever played in the FA Cup, so it’d be another dream come true for me,” said Sterling. “Our targets now as a team are hopefully to play a bit more consistently. The first aim is to finish in the top half of the table but we are looking at the top five or six, and maybe even fourth.
“Sunderland was obviously a great win for the team and a good way to start 2013. It was a good goal for myself, I was played in by (Luis) Suarez but the most important thing for the team was the three points.”
Sterling is hoping to add to his two goals before the end of the season and says being in the presence of someone as good as Suarez can only aid his development.
“Suarez is unstoppable at the moment,” he said.
“Day in day out at training we see what a good player he is. To play with him on a matchday is a dream come true. I’m looking forward to learning from him as much as I can and taking things into my own game.
“I feel as though I could have got a few more goals in the early part of the season. As a young player you just have to keep learning and striving. I’ll be looking to score a few more goals this season but the most important thing is to keep playing a part in the team.”
