Topics: Dirk Kuyt, Feyenoord, Football, Liverpool, Premier League, Raheem Sterling, Manchester City
A Liverpool legend has claimed that while he "didn't like" Raheem Sterling despite being impressed by his talents in the Premier League.
After a challenging period that saw him fall out of favour at Chelsea, Sterling's contract with the London club was terminated at the end of January with 18 months still remaining.
The decision meant that Sterling was now a free agent, allowing him to join any interested club even if the transfer window was not open.
Eventually, the 31-year-old opted for Dutch club Feyenoord, with manager Robin van Persie claiming that Sterling chose to join the Eredivisie club to "regain the joy" in his football
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Sterling's decision puts an end to a 14-year senior career in the Premier League and, despite his success, it appears that he isn't exactly popular with all of his former teammates.
In February 2010, Sterling was signed by Liverpool from the Queens Park Rangers academy for an initial fee of £450,000, with the possibility of rising up to £2million depending on first team appearances.
On 24 March 2012, Sterling became the third-youngest player to play for the club as he made his debut as a substitute against Wigan Athletic, aged just 17 years and 107 days.
Sterling went on to become an important player for Liverpool during his three-year spell in the first team, but that didn't mean he won over former teammate Dirk Kuyt.
Kuyt, who now manages Dutch second division side FC Dordrecht, was part of Liverpool's first-team during the period that saw Sterling break through the ranks.
When asked to speak about his former teammate's move to the top of Dutch football, Kuyt admitted that Sterling was a talented player but his feelings towards him will forever be tainted by the Englishman's controversial transfer to Manchester City in 2015.
Speaking to ESPN, Kuyt said: "That was quite a few years ago, he was 16 then. We trained together a few times and played a few matches.
"Ultimately, I didn't like him that much because he quickly moved to a big rival. But Raheem Sterling, of course, is considered a fantastic player in English football with a tremendous record."
On 1 April 2015, Sterling gave an unsanctioned interview with the BBC, in which he confirmed that he had turned down a contract extension with Liverpool, creating tension with the club and fans.
The situation got worse when his agent confirmed that Sterling would not be signing a new contract due to financial reasons and would instead look to leave the club.
This led to Sterling eventually joining City in July 2015 after Liverpool rejected two previous offers a month earlier, a move that essentially burned all bridges between Sterling and Liverpool fans.
Of course, Sterling went on to have a stellar career at Manchester City, winning 10 major trophies including four Premier League titles.
