Daniel Sturridge: A Story of Talent and Turbulence

Career

2006-09 – Man City

2009-13 – Chelsea

2011 – Bolton Wanderers (loan)

2013-19 – Liverpool

2018 – West Bromwich Albion (loan)

 2019-20 – Trabzonspor

 2021-22 – Perth Glory

When I originally thought of making a sports blog about players that many have forgotten, Daniel Sturridge was one of the names that first sprang to mind. Sturridge first came onto the scene in the 2007/08 campaign where he was the first player to score in the FA Youth Cup, FA Cup and Premier League all in the same season. In doing so, it looked like Sturridge would take the mantle of being England’s centre forward for the next decade. However, now retired at the age of 35 all these thoughts seem like a faded recollection.

Daniel Sturridge moved to Chelsea in 2009 but struggled for consistent playing time due to the likes of Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba, French international Nicolas Anelka as well as Ivory Coast’s Salomon Kalou who were all at the peaks of their careers. Nevertheless, this showed the adaptability of his game as he played out wide which developed various aspects of his game. This would lead Sturridge in 2011 to go on loan to Gérard Houllier’s Bolton Wanderers side who gave him the keys to flourish. Sturridge scored eight goals in twelve games for the team, and it was clear that he was beginning to prove himself as one of the top young strikers in the world. Then after the loan he returned to Chelsea but still had difficulty finding consistent playing time due to experience being favoured over him. So, this led him to join Liverpool in January 2013 where his career kickstarted.

Liverpool, coached by Brendan Rodgers during this period had a great mixture of youth and experienced players, but it was with Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez where a true bond was formed. During the 2013/14 season the pair it could be said had telepathic understanding between each other as when they were both playing together, they were virtually unplayable. Sturridge that year in twenty-nine appearances scored twenty-one goals and assisted seven in the premier league. This would go along with Luis Suarez’s thirty-one goals and twelve assists in thirty-three games for the side. Liverpool that season narrowly finished second, but Sturridge was now seen as one of the best strikers in the Premier League at the age of 23. The future looked bright as he was selected that Summer for the 2014 Brazil World Cup where he scored in a defeat to Italy for England.

Despite that, past that campaign, Sturridge would then suffer from injuries throughout the rest of his career. Sturridge spent seven years at Liverpool and missed 130 games through injury. The injuries started to take a toll on his body as he began to regress athletically which affected his overall productivity when playing. This led Liverpool to sign multiple players to replace Sturridge due to his incapability to stay fit. At first, many of the signings struggled to make an impact but when Liverpool signed Brazilian international Roberto Firmino in 2015, this affected Sturridge’s role at Liverpool as he then became a backup striker for the rest of his tenure.

Sturridge would fit into any era of football with his ability to run channels, link up play and have silky smooth dribbling in tight spaces. He had the qualities to play through the middle and out wide which he showed throughout his career due to his excellent ball striking, pace, as well as his playmaking ability which often got overlooked throughout his career.

Now when people think of Sturridge, they just remember him as a player who was prone to injury and never lived up to his potential. Although Sturridge could have achieved more if it were not for the injuries, this should not take away from how great of a player he truly was. As mentioned throughout the article, Sturridge’s versatility to play across the front three and be effective in each position highlights how technically gifted he was as a player. He is one of the most complete Premier League strikers of the 2010s, with no glaring weaknesses to his overall game and this is why Daniel Sturridge is one that we shall never forget.