Liverpool legend Steve McMahon has slammed Raheem Sterling for the 'disgraceful' manner of his transfer to Manchester City.
The England international missed two days of training after citing illness earlier this month, before asking to be left off the club's pre-season tour of Malaysia, Australia and Thailand.
Sterling eventually signed for the Citizens for £49m last week, and McMahon was furious with how the 20-year-old's Anfield exit was engineered.
The former midfielder told the Liverpool Echo: "As soon as Raheem said he wanted to leave there was no coming back. He has disrespected everything about Liverpool – all the core values at Liverpool that players are brought up on.
"It's a wonderful place to be. There's a way of doing things. Okay, things happen when agents get involved, but you've got to show respect to people and Raheem didn't do that.
"You have to respect your peers and the staff at Liverpool Football Club. Lots of players move on gracefully but he's moved disgracefully in my opinion."
Sterling took just three minutes to net for his new club, as City beat Roma in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday.
Paul Gorst
