Raheem Sterling, Liverpool

Teenage Liverpool winger drops in to visit old-team mates at Copland College

Liverpool youngster Raheem Sterling returned to his roots this week when he dropped in to visit his old team-mates at Copland Community College, Wembley.

The 17-year-old winger, who was a student at the school until two years ago, when he left QPR to join the Merseyside club in an initial £500,000 deal, was back in the capital for the Reds’ under-19 team’s NextGen Series clash against Tottenham.

And he took the opportunity to pay a visit to Copland and his former coach Paul Lawrence, the school’s head of PE, prior to Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat at White Hart Lane.

Copland plan to establish a football academy for 16-18 year-olds, who will study BTEC sports and one other subject, along with learning the game in the Middlesex County League.

Lawrence said: “Raheem is willing to help and support Copland in any way that he can, so I let him know that we are having trials in April and, if things don’t work out with Liverpool, he’s more than welcome to come!

“We wish him all the best for the foreseeable future and we hope to see him represent the Liverpool first team very soon.”

Sterling, who was born in Jamaica but grew up in St Raphael’s Estate, Neasden, spent seven years with QPR’s youth set-up before his transfer to Liverpool.

He has also made several appearances for England at both under-16 and under-17 level and played at last year’s FIFA under-17 World Cup in Mexico.