Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has urged Raheem Sterling to stay at the club and become their "number one player".

The 20-year-old has been strongly linked with an exit from Anfield in recent months, after rejecting the offer of a new contract from the Reds.

Sterling has reportedly attracted the interest of Real Madrid and Manchester City, but his former colleague Gerrard believes that he should turn down a move in order to continue his development at Liverpool.

"Liverpool is the place for him to learn for the next few years," Gerrard said at the launch of BT Sport Europe.

"I think there's a position there for him to be the number one player in the Liverpool team and really have that adulation from supporters that the likes of Luis Suarez and Fernando Torres have experienced.

"I don't want to see him go to another team and just become a squad player and just another number in the team, I think he deserves to be playing every week."

Sterling scored 11 goals for Liverpool last season.