Raheem Sterling has said that he will "take the time" to think about his future before signing a new contract with Liverpool.
The midfielder has confirmed that he turned down a contract extension with the club worth £100,000 per week, and will not re-open negotiations with the Anfield side until the end of the season.
The 20-year-old told BBC Sport: "It's never been about money. I talk about winning trophies throughout my career. That's all I talk about. I don't talk about how many cars I'm going to drive, how many houses I've got. I just purely want to be the best I can be.
"I just want to take the time to think about what I've achieved in my career so far, where I need to go and what I need to do to get better as a player.
"If, [while Liverpool were in the Premier League title race last season], I was offered a contract, I most definitely would have signed straight away, probably for far less money than being said now. I just think the timing was a bit off."
Sterling, who still has two full seasons remaining on his current deal, has said that he does not want to be seen as a "money-grabbing 20-year-old" despite his contract situation.
Sian Cowper
