The Reds recovered from a 2-0 deficit to see off their Blue rivals, with the former QPR teenager enjoying a dream start for the club.

Michael Roberts (penalty) , Krisztian Adorjan and Craig Roddan (penalty) were the other scorers as the away side made their numerical advantage count, following the 46th minute sending off of Toffees defender Shane Duffy.

It was an afternoon to savour for boss Rodolfo Borrell, who dedicated the victory to first-team manager Rafael Benitez.

"It is a nice victory for me, but especially for the fans and the club," he told Liverpoolfc.tv. 

"I am also happy for Rafael Benitez, as he invests a lot of time in the club and the Academy.

"He made a bold move to bring me and the rest of my staff to Liverpool, so it's nice to be able to win this sort of match for him."

Reflecting on a rollercoaster 90 minutes, Borrell admitted his side were almost made to pay for some poor defending.

"We cannot concede such sloppy goals," he said. "If you concede so easily then normally you lose the match."

The Reds coach also had some words of encouragement for debutant Sterling, but was keen to stress that it was a team performance that saw Liverpool come away with the three points.

"I was pleased with Raheem's contribution and that he scored on his debut. He is quick and skilful but still only young. He can improve tactically and has a long way to go, but he is a great signing for this football club.

"His was one of a number of good individual peformances, but the main thing was how well the team did as a whole. That is what matters most and they all contributed to a deserved triumph."

Liverpool under-18s: Oldfield, Flanagan, Robinson, Wisdom, Sama, Coady, Sterling, Roberts (Roddan 74), Ngoo (Emilsson 76), Adorjan (Alex Cooper 90), Ince. Unused subs: Matty McGiveron, Deale Chamberlain.