LONDON (Reuters) - Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling has denied he is a "money-grabbing 20-year-old", but is in no rush to sign a new contract, he told the BBC on Wednesday.
England international Sterling has been offered an eye-watering 100,000 pounds ($148,300) a week to sign a new deal with Liverpool, according to media reports, but has yet to commit his future to the club.
He says, however, that money is not a determining factor and ruled out discussing a new contract until at least the end of the season.
"It's not about the money at all," Sterling said.
"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 don't want to be perceived as a money-grabbing 20-year-old. I just want to be seen as a kid who loves to play football and to do the best for the team."
Liverpool last won a trophy in 2012 when they claimed the League Cup, but came agonisingly close to lifting the league title last season, before being pipped by Manchester City.
Sterling says he would have signed a new deal with Liverpool had an offer been on the table last year.
"If, at that point in time, I was offered a contract, I most definitely would have signed straight away, probably for far less money than being said now," he said. "I just think the timing was a bit off."
With just two years to run on his current deal, which media reports estimate to be worth around 35,000 pounds per week, speculation has begun to grow that Sterling is eyeing a future away from Merseyside.
He denies, however, that he is distracted by the whirring rumour mill.
"I try to kill it off, but I don't think the public can see it that way," he said. "I think they just see it as this 20-year-old boy being greedy.
"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."
Liverpool, who are fifth in the Premier League table, face third-placed Arsenal on Saturday.
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