Rodgers was in charge of Liverpool when Sterling established himself as a first team regular at Anfield in 2012 and the pair nearly won the Premier League in the 2013/2014 season.
Sterling departed Liverpool for Manchester City in the summer of 2015 for £49m, albeit in acrimonious circumstances, and has always bore the brunt of the boo boys whenever he has returned to Anfield.
The 25-year-old has become one of the best players in England since moving to the Etihad Stadium, having won two Premier League titles and a host of other domestic trophies in his time at the club.
Many have theorized that Sterling left Liverpool for money but Rodgers, now in charge of Leicester City, has pointed to the England international’s improvement under Pep Guardiola to defend him.
"For Raheem, it was never about money. If it was about money, he could have stayed at Liverpool. It was about being the best he can be," Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo.
"In that moment in time, there was an opportunity to go to Manchester City where they had top-class players. He's gone in there and developed and become a winner, which is clear to see now in his game.
"I look at Pep's team and it's not the same if he's not in it. What a testament that is to a young English player. What I loved about Raheem was that, for a young boy, he knew what he wanted to be.
"When I ask young players what is it that they want to achieve, he wanted to be one of the best players in the world, at that age. That was where he was unique, because sometimes the British players may not have that ambition. But that was all he wanted to be."
