Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has hinted that Raheem Sterling could be a long-term option in the central striking role, if he continues to blossom in the position.

The 20-year-old initially broke into the Liverpool first team as a winger, but has been deployed as the main striker in recent weeks due to injuries to Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli.

He maintained his place in the side against Burnley on Boxing Day despite Balotelli being available, and Rodgers believes that his winner in that match shows that Sterling has the composure to become more prolific in front of goal.

"I think there are players that are natural-born goalscorers and they live to score goals, they want to score a goal," Rodgers told reporters. "Some are not so worried about what they do in the build-up, not concerned about how hard they work, but they want to score a goal. They have that ability to get a goal.

"Then you get other players, the top-class players who work very hard, who have that ability to score a lot of goals and create goals and that's something that develops with confidence over your career. I think we see him like that and I think his numbers over his career will keep improving and improving.

"For me I'm very happy with his performance. He's gone into that role, he's offered us a real threat, his pace in every game is phenomenal but he's got that bit of composure at the end. He's going to miss some chances of course but you've seen at Burnley the one opportunity he had he took it."

Sterling has scored six goals in 25 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool this season.