Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli has urged the club's fans to continue to support Raheem Sterling despite his switch to Manchester City.

Sterling departed Anfield in acrimonious circumstances after a lengthy transfer saga, with City eventually shelling out a record fee of £49m for the 20-year-old.

The behaviour of the player and his agent throughout the contract wrangling drew criticism from a number of former players, but Balotelli has said that Sterling deserves to be respected.

"Liverpool fans are amazing but I hope @sterling31 will play at his best because he deserves it," the Italian wrote on Twitter.

"Support him like you always did. He gave everything to this club and respect it so I'm sad to see this. YNWA, Liverpool is a family ALWAYS."

Balotelli is himself expected to follow Sterling out of the Anfield exit door this summer having been left out of the club's pre-season tour to Asia and Australia.

Sterling, meanwhile, scored just three minutes into his Man City debut during a pre-season friendly with Roma earlier today.