Raheem Sterling wins Liverpool's Young Player of Year award, but some fans were not happy others wanted him to stay

Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling has been named as the club's Young Player of the Year, 24 hours after it emerged that he will ask to leave.

A small number of fans booed the 20-year-old as he collected his award, while others shouted: "Stay, Raheem."

The England international is expected to tell manager Brendan Rodgers and chief executive Ian Ayre on Friday that he wants to leave the clubthis summer.

Speaking at the event, Rodgers said it had been a "difficult, trying season".

He added: "A number of distractions that we couldn't have planned for have made it difficult, but the players have given everything."

Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho, 22, was voted Player of the Season.

Sterling rejected a new £100,000-a-week contract in April but denied being a "money-grabber" in a BBC Sport interview, adding: "I talk about winning trophies throughout my career. That's all I talk about."

The forward told Rodgers he wants to leave before Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Chelsea game on 10 May, but it is understood the Reds want to keep the player, whose deal ends in 2017.

Should Sterling be made available, Manchester City are the frontrunners for his signature but a number of leading European clubs have also expressed an interest.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refused to be drawn on whether he would make a bid.

Several former Liverpool players have criticised Sterling and his representatives.

Former Reds striker Emile Heskey said  Sterling would be "denying himself the opportunity to grow and develop into a top player" if he left, and that Liverpool should "try as hard as they can" to persuade him to stay.

John Aldridge, who played for Liverpool between 1987 and 1989, said Sterling had been given "woeful advice from his agent"  and that "everyone in the game" knows it would be best for his development to stay.

Former Liverpool winger John Barnes said Sterling should stay at Anfield, claiming he would not be guaranteed regular first-team football elsewhere as he has still "not achieved anything"