Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says that he will continue to give first-team opportunities to the club’s young stars after Raheem Sterling impressed against Manchester City.

The youthful likes of Sterling, Martin Kelly, Sebastian Coates, Joe Allen and Fabio Borini helped make the Reds’ XI against the Premier League champions their youngest in the league for over 10 years, a policy which the new boss feels can provide a counterpoint to their rivals’ excessive spending.

“Young players will run through a barbed wire fence for you,” Rodgers told reporters.

“Older players will look for the hole or just turn back and not even go through it, but you get that freshness from Raheem. I like exciting players as well and he is a boy that excites you.

“This might be a good opportunity for them. Because we don’t have the money that some of our rivals have, I want to make the philosophy through the club that allows us to bring players from the academy into the first team.

“We want to develop what this club has had for many years and develop top young players.”

The Northern Irishman ruled out the possibility of Sterling being sent out on loan, enthusing: “I am certain over the next few years that he will develop into a very good footballer – we just have to make sure that we keep the pressure off him.

“One of the things that I think I have specialised in is the management of top young players. He is certainly up in that bracket. I look at players like Scott Sinclair and boys of that ilk. He is certainly up there – maybe more advanced at that age.

“The great thing is that his attitude is wonderful. He is really focused. He comes in and he works well. He produces and he is effective on the pitch.”

Jonjo Shelvey believes the Liverpool supporters can be an instrumental asset to the team as they look to claim silverware in Brendan Rodgers‘ debut season in charge.

The midfielder pointed to the “electric” atmosphere created by the fans at Anfield as Reds twice took the lead against Premier League champions Manchester City, with only a late mistake from Martin Skrtel allowing Roberto Mancini’s charges to snatch a point.

And Shelvey feels the passion from the stands inspires the team on the pitch and makes Liverpool “a great club to play for”.

He told the club’s official website: “When we scored against City, you couldn’t even speak to the person next to you because the atmosphere was so good and the noise was so loud.

“It’s good to have that behind you and ever since I have been here, the fans have been like they were on Sunday. That’s why it is a great club to play for – the fans are electric.”

And despite the improved performance against City, Shelvey insists the team are taking it one step at a time as they look to negotiate their domestic campaign alongside the Europa League.

“I think it’s really starting to come together on the pitch and I think the fans saw that again against City. But you’ve just got to take it step by step in this league and game by game,” he continued.

“We won’t look too far ahead – we’ve got Hearts on Thursday, so we’ve got to win that and make sure we get through to the group stages of the Europa League. Then we’ll look ahead to Arsenal.”

Shelvey revealed that it was a suprise to be called upon after just four minutes on Sunday but was buoyed by Rodgers’ decision to bring him on in place of the injured Lucas Leiva.

“The boss told me to be ready before the game and when I came on to the pitch, he just told me to keep doing what I had been doing during the pre-season games,” explained Shelvey.

“It’s good that the boss sent me on and it gave me a boost in confidence. Hopefully I repaid the boss out there on Sunday. I aim to kick on from here.

“I performed a lot better than I did on Thursday. But it’s not about me, it’s about the team and how well we play as a group because there are no individuals in our team. We’re just a bit disappointed that we didn’t get the three points against City.”

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has claimed Steven Gerrard should leave Liverpool if he is to fulfil his ambitions of winning the Premier League title.

The Anfield captain has won an enviable array of honours during his time on Merseyside – including the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup and Super Cup – but a Premier League winners medal still eludes him.

And Eriksson has insisted that the England international will not achieve that goal with the current Liverpool squad.

The Swede told The Sun: “I don’t begrudge a good guy like Steven winning the Premier League.

“But maybe he needs to change clubs if he wants to win that title.

“Steven Gerrard is Mr Liverpool and he has won the Champions League, FA Cup, Super Cup and League Cup with them.

“The question is whether he will ever win a Premier League title? As things look now, absolutely not,” Eriksson declared.

Eriksson, who once enjoyed a spell in the Premier League with Manchester City, did concede that should the right steps be taken a Premier League crown may not be too far away from Anfield.

“A lot of things have to change at Liverpool for that [the Premier League title] to happen,” he continued.

“The owners have to pump in more money and buy the right players.

“Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing have been expensive signings but have not been a success.

“When I look at their team I see just three world-class players – Gerrard, Pepe Reina and Luis Suarez.

“Both my dad and I have been Liverpool fans since the club’s heyday in the 1980s but the Liverpool we see today are far from the top level.

“They simply cannot lose 3-0 to a team like West Brom. It is too bad.”