Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has advised Jamaica-born standout winger Raheem Sterling to get his life back on track in order to focus on reaching his full potential at the Anfield club.

The 18-year-old Sterling constantly featured in Rodgers' plans last season, but has since found himself fall down the pecking order at the club. The winger's progress has been slowed somewhat because of injury, but the manager believes that a series of off-field events have also caused Sterling to lose focus.

The player has twice been charged with assault, but saw both cases dismissed by the courts. Sterling also found himself in trouble with the law after failing to notify authorities he had sold a car. A case that has already been adjourned twice.

"He needs to have a clear mind in everything in his life. We mustn't forget he is 18," Rodgers told UK publication Daily Express (express.co.uk).

"He needs to stabilise his life, understand the remarkable opportunity he has at one of the biggest clubs in the world, and focus everything on his career."

Despite losing his regular spot at the Anfield club, Rodgers has confidence that the player can regain his spot once his personal issues are sorted out.

"Once he does that and he is clear in his mind, he has no distractions, then we can get to the level of performance of the first four to five months of last year," Rodgers said.

Last season also saw the Maverley native given his international debut for England under manager Roy Hodgson, despite a brief tussle between the English Football Association and the Jamaica Football Feder-ation over which country the player would represent.