The Spanish boss brought the emerging star to Anfield as a teenager but left his post months later and didn’t get the chance to introduce him to the Reds’ first team

Rafael Benitez‘s shrewd assessment of emerging talent could be the undoing of his Real Madrid team when they face Raheem Sterling and Manchester City on Friday.

Liverpool signed a 15-year-old Sterling from the youth academy of Queens Park Rangers in February 2010, five months before the six-year reign of Benitez at Anfield came to an end.

Kenny Dalglish handed the fleet-footed forward his debut in 2012 and he became a regular under Brendan Rodgers the following season, before taking the Premier League by storm alongside Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge as Liverpool came close to winning the title in 2013-14.

Sterling was sold to Manchester City for reported fee of £49 million this month and made a goal-scoring debut in the 2-2 draw with Roma in the International Champions Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Up next for the 20-year-old is a meeting with Liga giants Madrid.

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