Hudson-Odoi: Sterling is my idol and he's very positive & a big leader in team

Raheem Sterling remains a role model for Callum Hudson-Odoi, despite being dropped for England's European Qualifier against Montenegro over a clash with team-mate Joe Gomez.

"Someone like Raheem is like an idol to me. The position he plays, and what he's doing for club and country, is an amazing thing, which I will try to replicate myself," he said.

"It's an amazing feeling to have someone like him doing what he's doing and being around you every time. I want to keep learning off what he does.

"Raheem's a very nice guy, very encouraging, very positive about everything he does. When I first came in, I didn't expect him to be so nice.

"Of course, he's a nice person but when you see somebody always welcoming you, just talking to you, giving you advice on how he plays and just being around you a lot, it makes you feel so welcome in the team."

Hudson-Odoi also sees Sterling as a leader among his England team-mates, especially due to his continued efforts in the battle against racism in football.

"Definitely. He's very positive about what he does. Whenever he says something, he wants to take a stance and make sure everything is OK with it," Hudson-Odoi added.

"For someone like him, he's a big leader in the team because he's a very top player, he's in club and country playing every game, working really hard, scoring a lot of goals.

"For someone like that to have a say on racism, it is a big feeling for all of us. He is sticking up for everyone who is involved in the game. It is a great feeling to know he's going to do that."