Daniel Sturridge Fulfilling Early Promise

The career of Daniel Sturridge has been one that so far has yet to totally take off. The Man City youth prodigy only featured in a handful of matches for the Citizens before moving on a bosman to Chelsea, he also spent a productive six-months at Bolton, where he was used mostly as a striker by Owen Coyle. He also proved a massive hit with the Trotters’ fans.

Sturridge felt he wasn’t getting enough 1^st team opportunities at Stamford Bridge last January, the forward made a £15m switch to Liverpool to play under Brendan Rodgers, to be honest it was seen as a huge gamble to pay that amount of money for someone who was still in the ‘potential category’.

Credit to Liverpool and Brendan Rogers as the gamble looks to be one that has paid off massively and it’s working out well for both Sturridge and the club. His goal ratio of 12 goals in 16 appearances proves the young striker is certainly doing something right. He Instantly hit it off with Luis Suarez as the two started to form which looked like the beginnings of a very fruitful pairing, Suarez with his guile and unpredictability and Sturridge with his pace and power were at times too much to handle for some Premier League defences.

Now with those six months of regular football and the faith shown in him by Brendan Rodgers you can see how Sturridge is growing in confidence now that he is the main striker for a club of the size and stature of Liverpool.

With Suarez out for the 1^st ten games of this season due to suspension after biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, Sturridge has once again taken on the mantle as main striker. He has added considerable work-rate to his game this season by tracking back and even at times making tackles in the right-back position. This alongside scoring in the opening two games of the season in one-nil victories over Stoke and Aston Villa respectively. He seems to be relishing the chance to finally showcase his talents on a regular basis at Anfield and he is also well-liked by the supporters.

He also seems to be maturing off the field as well as on it, in a recent interview with BBC Match of the Day he was saying how it was nice for him to score but the most important thing is the team wins, also when asked about his tracking back he said we win as a team and lose as it team, which also shows his maturity.

Sturridge does not turn 24 until September 1^st but has been around the 1^st team scene for a long time and is now showing that it’s not all about him. At Chelsea his attitude was called into question by some quarters something that looks to be behind him.

Sturridge needs to keep up this early season form and continue to learn. Sturridge must also develop the attitude and application he is showing in a Liverpool shirt. With his unquestionable footballing ability and knack of putting the ball in the net, he may well book a seat on the plane to Brazil. England are not overflowing with strikers who are in form at the moment, if I was in Hodgson’s position he would be one of my four striking  options, alongside Wayne  Rooney and two others.