Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is wide of the mark when claiming that he kept Raheem Sterling's salary low at Liverpool, a source close to the player has insisted.
Rodgers claimed that Sterling was taking home just £2,000 per week while he was playing for England, but his form meant his salary eventually had to be bumped up.
It has been repeatedly claimed that putting young players on high salaries can affect their hunger and therefore slow or halt their bid to fulfil their potential.
But despite Rodgers' words, a source close to Sterling has told the BBC that the England winger saw his salary increased to £35,000 per week by Liverpool as soon as he turned 18 years old.
Sterling was paid £1,000 per week from his 17th birthday and then his wages were pushed up to £1,500.
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The winger eventually became a key man at Anfield under Rodgers and was sold to Manchester City in 2015 for an initial £44m, with the fee having the potential to hit £49m.
Rodgers had claimed that he kept Sterling on low wages at Anfield as long as he possibly could as big money can change people and "distorts reality".
He has challenged Celtic's youngsters to be consistent and professional, play games and keep progressing, in order to earn bigger contracts.
