Michael Owen: Raheem Sterling can be "world class"

Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has talked up the "world-class" potential of Raheem Sterling.

The 19-year-old has established himself as an England and Liverpool regular this calendar year, and Owen, who played for the Reds from 1996 to 2004, tipped the teenager to develop into one of the planet's finest players.

He told reporters at the SoccerEx convention in Manchester: "[Sterling is] a proper player. I think you look at the England squad and there are always going to be one or two who are head and shoulders above the rest, and he's one of them.

"There are your superstars in teams and then your players who are steady and reliable in different roles, but I think we can rest our cap on Raheem Sterling being one of the few that you can say are potentially world class.

"He could take us far in future tournaments. With his age, it's going to exciting having him around for a long time."

Sterling has scored twice for Liverpool this season.