Neil Ashton: England are letting Raheem Sterling down . Raheem Sterling admits he is too skinny and wants to get stronger to better deal with the demands of representing Liverpool and England. The Anfield star insists he is active and always working out despite having to tell Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson he was too tired to play against Estonia on Sunday. The Reds midfielder dropped to the bench for England's 1-0 win in Tallinn but did come on to win the free-kick which led to Wayne Rooney's winning goal. Raheem Sterling, pictured in action against Estonia, admits he needs to work in the gym to get stronger . Sterling chats with his Liverpool team-mate Adam Lallana on the pitch against Estonia in Tallinn . The 19-year-old, pictured in action against West Brom, admits he is 'a bit skinny' at present . Sterling speaks in the new edition of Forever Sports . However, 19-year-old Sterling, who has faced a backlash over his reasons for being unable to play, says he is always working on ways to improve his fitness and is regularly found in the gym. Sterling told Forever Sports Magazine: 'I’m always active, always working out, so you do get an athlete's body. I'm a bit skinny at the moment so I'm working on that, not too much [muscle], as I don't want to be too top heavy. I'll be in the gym working, trying to get internally stronger. 'I try to not lift too many weights. The people at the club [Liverpool] have been trying to get me to do core as much as possible - that's been a big factor for me so I try to do that at least a couple of times a week.' With specialists on hand to help his development, Sterling is bidding to become stronger to cope with gruelling demands of Premier League football. 'I have the odd day where I do work on upper body and stuff like that and try to get myself stronger and fitter. There are specialists at the club who are always working on this stuff with you, and are always working on all these ways to improve, and how to get to the next level. 'That's one of the steps that I'm taking - at this moment in time, I'm just trying to work hard in the gym, and on the pitch as well, to try to get as better as possible.' Sterling has been blasted by former England captain Alan Shearer for being too 'tired' to start for his national team. Former Newcastle striker Shearer admitted he had never heard anything like it in his career and would have made a point of speaking to the player if he had. Sterling drives away from Estonian pair Artur Pikk (left) and Dmitri Kruglov (right) at the A. Le Coq Arena . Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer has blasted Sterling's decision to complain about being tired . 'I genuinely have never heard something like that in my career. Certainly not in a squad I was involved in,' Shearer wrote in The Sun. 'If I had, as either captain of Newcastle or England, I'd have gone straight up to the player and said "are you sure?" and that's putting it mildly.' However, former Three Lions defender Rio Ferdinand has backed the Reds youngster's decision. The ex-Manchester United centre back, now playing for QPR, claims players are 'too proud' to take time out and rest. In a series of tweets, Ferdinand said: 'Sterling - tired, fair play to him. English players are normally too proud to do that unlike our foreign friends. #FreshWhenItMattersMost. 'For instance, (Carlos) Tevez would come in some days (at Manchester United) and sit on the massage bed while the team trained... "I'm tired... match day - firing & energised. QPR defender Rio Ferdinand has defended Sterling, claiming some English players are 'too proud' England boss Roy Hodgson (left) decided to start Sterling on the bench against Estonia after he complained of leg weariness the day before the game . VIDEO Sterling defends England tiredness . 'Either some real dumb heads on here or they just missed the point totally. Doing what's better for the team & yourself long term... 'With more rest at the right times throughout seasons (Wayne) Rooney would have gone into tournaments for England fresher 100%... Too proud again. 'Same could be said of (Steven) Gerrard, (Frank) Lampard, JT (John Terry), A. (Ashley) Cole, myself, etc. - all too proud to set out of training or a match with the bigger picture in mind.' In reply to a tweet which read 'didn't fergie used to give Ronaldo a few weeks off mid season early in his career', Ferdinand replied: 'yes... defo helped him develop'. Raheem on fitness . 'I’m always active, always working out, so you do get an athlete's body. I'm a bit skinny at the moment so I'm working on that, not too much [muscle], as I don't want to be too top heavy. I'll be in the gym working, trying to get internally stronger. 'I try to not lift too many weights. The people at the club [Liverpool] have been trying to get me to do core as much as possible - that's been a big factor for me so I try to do that at least a couple of times a week. 'I have the odd day where I do work on upper body and stuff like that and try to get myself stronger and fitter. There are specialists at the club who are always working on this stuff with you, and are always working on all these ways to improve, and how to get to the next level. That's one of the steps that I'm taking - at this moment in time, I'm just trying to work hard in the gym, and on the pitch as well, to try to get as better as possible.' Raheem on England . 'I think everyone in the England team can play. We've been unlucky in certain games and tournaments but I do see a bright future for England.' Raheem on his skills . 'I do keepy-uppies literally every day on the training field but I don't do as many skills as I used to do when I was younger. I used to have 10 yards of space and no-one around me and used to do six or seven stepovers, but there's no point if you're not putting the ball in the back of the net. 'You've got to realise that if you do little tricks, you're going to get kicked in the Premier League. You've got to really know how to pass and keep the ball moving without getting caught and getting silly injuries.' Raheem on footballers unfairly getting stick . 'I don't think some people realise the journey that some footballers have come on. Most people have started aged 7, 8, 9 or 10 and some make it to the last important step and some don't, so it's really [a] make or break [situation] initially that we're in. 'We work for it from a young age and people don't see it until we're in the public eye, so they're probably just thinking that we're born into playing football really, but it's a journey we've come on. 'We do put hours in off the field as well and try to give back as much as possible as we do on the field.' Raheem on his friendship with Jamaican sprint stars . 'He's [Warren Weir] a good friend of mine and when I go to Jamaica, I try to see him or Usain as much as possible. If we're not out together, we're just having a laugh.' Would he ever take on his friends on the track? "No, no! That's something I wouldn't fancy doing really - that's why they're in the sport they're in really, because they're the best at what they do.' 'I haven't had a chance to get a kickabout with them yet, but I heard Usain thinks he's a big player,' he says in response to Bolt's claims that he'd like to play for Man United. 'Yeah, I've heard that quite a few times.' Raheem on ignoring the hype . 'It's nice to hear the things people say but I don't really take it in too much. I just try to block it out and concentrate purely on football, to improve and try to make people talk even more.' Raheem on his unique running style . 'None of them [team-mates] have gotten to me yet about that, but we always have a joke and a laugh about different stuff. I haven't been bantered so much about that, I've more had that on social networks.” FOR THE FULL RAHEEM STERLING INTERVIEW, THE NEW ISSUE OF FOREVER SPORTS IS ON SALE NOW FROM ALL GOOD NEWSAGENTS AND SPORTS DIRECT STORES, PRICED £2 .
Liverpool midfielder Raheem Sterling says he is 'always working out'
But he complained of tiredness while on England duty and was benched against Estonia .
The 19-year-old admits he is 'a bit skinny' and wants to put on muscle .
He came off the bench in Tallinn to help the Three Lions win 1-0 .
Sterling is working with Liverpool staff to improve his strength .
Neil Ashton: England are letting Raheem Sterling down . Raheem Sterling admits he is too skinny and wants to get stronger to better deal with the demands of representing Liverpool and England. The Anfield star insists he is active and always working out despite having to tell Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson he was too tired to play against Estonia on Sunday. The Reds midfielder dropped to the bench for England's 1-0 win in Tallinn but did come on to win the free-kick which led to Wayne Rooney's winning goal. Raheem Sterling, pictured in action against Estonia, admits he needs to work in the gym to get stronger . Sterling chats with his Liverpool team-mate Adam Lallana on the pitch against Estonia in Tallinn . The 19-year-old, pictured in action against West Brom, admits he is 'a bit skinny' at present . Sterling speaks in the new edition of Forever Sports . However, 19-year-old Sterling, who has faced a backlash over his reasons for being unable to play, says he is always working on ways to improve his fitness and is regularly found in the gym. Sterling told Forever Sports Magazine: 'I’m always active, always working out, so you do get an athlete's body. I'm a bit skinny at the moment so I'm working on that, not too much [muscle], as I don't want to be too top heavy. I'll be in the gym working, trying to get internally stronger. 'I try to not lift too many weights. The people at the club [Liverpool] have been trying to get me to do core as much as possible - that's been a big factor for me so I try to do that at least a couple of times a week.' With specialists on hand to help his development, Sterling is bidding to become stronger to cope with gruelling demands of Premier League football. 'I have the odd day where I do work on upper body and stuff like that and try to get myself stronger and fitter. There are specialists at the club who are always working on this stuff with you, and are always working on all these ways to improve, and how to get to the next level. 'That's one of the steps that I'm taking - at this moment in time, I'm just trying to work hard in the gym, and on the pitch as well, to try to get as better as possible.' Sterling has been blasted by former England captain Alan Shearer for being too 'tired' to start for his national team. Former Newcastle striker Shearer admitted he had never heard anything like it in his career and would have made a point of speaking to the player if he had. Sterling drives away from Estonian pair Artur Pikk (left) and Dmitri Kruglov (right) at the A. Le Coq Arena . Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer has blasted Sterling's decision to complain about being tired . 'I genuinely have never heard something like that in my career. Certainly not in a squad I was involved in,' Shearer wrote in The Sun. 'If I had, as either captain of Newcastle or England, I'd have gone straight up to the player and said "are you sure?" and that's putting it mildly.' However, former Three Lions defender Rio Ferdinand has backed the Reds youngster's decision. The ex-Manchester United centre back, now playing for QPR, claims players are 'too proud' to take time out and rest. In a series of tweets, Ferdinand said: 'Sterling - tired, fair play to him. English players are normally too proud to do that unlike our foreign friends. #FreshWhenItMattersMost. 'For instance, (Carlos) Tevez would come in some days (at Manchester United) and sit on the massage bed while the team trained... "I'm tired... match day - firing & energised. QPR defender Rio Ferdinand has defended Sterling, claiming some English players are 'too proud' England boss Roy Hodgson (left) decided to start Sterling on the bench against Estonia after he complained of leg weariness the day before the game . VIDEO Sterling defends England tiredness . 'Either some real dumb heads on here or they just missed the point totally. Doing what's better for the team & yourself long term... 'With more rest at the right times throughout seasons (Wayne) Rooney would have gone into tournaments for England fresher 100%... Too proud again. 'Same could be said of (Steven) Gerrard, (Frank) Lampard, JT (John Terry), A. (Ashley) Cole, myself, etc. - all too proud to set out of training or a match with the bigger picture in mind.' In reply to a tweet which read 'didn't fergie used to give Ronaldo a few weeks off mid season early in his career', Ferdinand replied: 'yes... defo helped him develop'. Raheem on fitness . 'I’m always active, always working out, so you do get an athlete's body. I'm a bit skinny at the moment so I'm working on that, not too much [muscle], as I don't want to be too top heavy. I'll be in the gym working, trying to get internally stronger. 'I try to not lift too many weights. The people at the club [Liverpool] have been trying to get me to do core as much as possible - that's been a big factor for me so I try to do that at least a couple of times a week. 'I have the odd day where I do work on upper body and stuff like that and try to get myself stronger and fitter. There are specialists at the club who are always working on this stuff with you, and are always working on all these ways to improve, and how to get to the next level. That's one of the steps that I'm taking - at this moment in time, I'm just trying to work hard in the gym, and on the pitch as well, to try to get as better as possible.' Raheem on England . 'I think everyone in the England team can play. We've been unlucky in certain games and tournaments but I do see a bright future for England.' Raheem on his skills . 'I do keepy-uppies literally every day on the training field but I don't do as many skills as I used to do when I was younger. I used to have 10 yards of space and no-one around me and used to do six or seven stepovers, but there's no point if you're not putting the ball in the back of the net. 'You've got to realise that if you do little tricks, you're going to get kicked in the Premier League. You've got to really know how to pass and keep the ball moving without getting caught and getting silly injuries.' Raheem on footballers unfairly getting stick . 'I don't think some people realise the journey that some footballers have come on. Most people have started aged 7, 8, 9 or 10 and some make it to the last important step and some don't, so it's really [a] make or break [situation] initially that we're in. 'We work for it from a young age and people don't see it until we're in the public eye, so they're probably just thinking that we're born into playing football really, but it's a journey we've come on. 'We do put hours in off the field as well and try to give back as much as possible as we do on the field.' Raheem on his friendship with Jamaican sprint stars . 'He's [Warren Weir] a good friend of mine and when I go to Jamaica, I try to see him or Usain as much as possible. If we're not out together, we're just having a laugh.' Would he ever take on his friends on the track? "No, no! That's something I wouldn't fancy doing really - that's why they're in the sport they're in really, because they're the best at what they do.' 'I haven't had a chance to get a kickabout with them yet, but I heard Usain thinks he's a big player,' he says in response to Bolt's claims that he'd like to play for Man United. 'Yeah, I've heard that quite a few times.' Raheem on ignoring the hype . 'It's nice to hear the things people say but I don't really take it in too much. I just try to block it out and concentrate purely on football, to improve and try to make people talk even more.' Raheem on his unique running style . 'None of them [team-mates] have gotten to me yet about that, but we always have a joke and a laugh about different stuff. I haven't been bantered so much about that, I've more had that on social networks.” FOR THE FULL RAHEEM STERLING INTERVIEW, THE NEW ISSUE OF FOREVER SPORTS IS ON SALE NOW FROM ALL GOOD NEWSAGENTS AND SPORTS DIRECT STORES, PRICED £2 .
down . Raheem Sterling admits he is too skinny and wants to get stronger to better deal with the working out despite having to tell Three Lions the bench for England's 1-0 win in Tallinn but pictured in action against Estonia, admits he The 19-year-old, pictured in action against West Brom, admits he is 'a bit skinny' at present . unable to play, says he is always working on ways to improve his fitness and is regularly found in Estonia after he complained of leg weariness the