Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is confident that Raheem Sterling will learn from his mistakes after a tough period of off-field issues.

The 20-year-old has been pictured allegedly smoking shisha and inhaling nitrous oxide in the past few days, while he has been criticised for his handling of a proposed new contract at the club.

Carragher told Sky Sports News: "I think he's going to have a long and successful career, a super player. We've seen signs of that with Liverpool and England. There's no doubt over the last six to 12 months, that in years to come he will look back on this period as a massive learning curve.

"You make mistakes at that age, I did, we all do. It's just important that we learn from them. Raheem Sterling needs to be on the back pages, not the front pages. That's a problem for him in the last few months, hopefully he learns from them. He's going to be a great talent.

"He's one of Liverpool's best attacking players. But forget the contract and money, the best way to prove your worth and keep the fans off your back is just perform. Play well. Don't tell people how good you are, show them."

Sterling scored the opening goal in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Newcastle United last night.