CONOR Coady has got a big date booked in his diary for his 18th birthday this Friday...presenting a prize at the St Helens Cultural Awards.

The Liverpool FC Academy captain is a special guest for the event at the town hall on Friday night that will reward the brightest young stars of sport, entertainment and arts.

The level-headed footballer was an unused substitute in the first team’s Europa League fixture in Prague last week and his debut for the Premier League club may not be far away.

He has been training at Melwood with the first team ahead of the return leg this evening.

But Coady, from Haydock, has another landmark to look forward to first, as he turns 18 on Friday.

Despite it being his big day, he still is happy to do his bit for the town tomorrow and leave the celebrations until next week.

In the past month the midfielder has skippered the England under 19s, while still aged 17, and won praise from manager Kenny Dalglish and youth team coaches.

Meanwhile, Coady’s teammate, Rainhill High pupil Raheem Sterling, will be competing with other bright young things from around St Helens for a share of the limelight.

The precocious teenager is nominated for an elite sporting performance prize at St Helens Cultural Awards, which take place in the town hall on Friday.

Jamaican-born Sterling enrolled at Rainhill after joining the Reds from Londoners QPR last year to continue his education while also training with the LFC academy.

The school has been aware of his enormous sporting talent but his local connection had remained relatively low key.

However, a five-goal display in the FA Youth Cup and subsequent inclusion in the first team squad catapulted him into the national headlines.

For a spell there was a media frenzy over whether Sterling would become the youngest player in the team’s history, before, ultimately he was not included in the squad.

And manager Kenny Dalglish has urged journalists to be responsible when reporting on the youngster.

He said: "We don't have to manage the expectations of anyone apart from yourselves - you are the ones who are blowing things out of proportion.”

Sterling scored in Liverpool U18s 4-1 victory over Huddersfield Town in midweek.