After suffering years of injury and frustration at Liverpool, Daniel Sturridge has the chance to prove that he is still one of the best at WBA
It was a long time coming but Daniël Sturridge has finally left Liverpool, joining West Bromwich Albion on a loan until the end of the season. The striker was seen as a squad player rather than a key player for the Reds as he was only handed five starts during this campaign. With the World Cup just months away, Sturridge has chosen a club where he is almost guaranteed playing time.
Liverpool fans will feel a bit of sadness when thinking about how Sturridge’s Liverpool career has gone downhill in the last few years. The Englishman signed for the club in January 2013, coming over from Chelsea and he immediately started scoring goals for the Anfield outfit.
? Alright then…
Signed.
Sealed.
Sturridge.Welcome to the Albion, @DanielSturridge ??#WBA pic.twitter.com/ZRZ0OTHjwO
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) January 29, 2018
The striker netted 11 goals in 16 games during his first six months on Merseyside and then came the 2013/14 season. Liverpool nearly won the league and it has gone down as the ‘Suárez season’ but Sturridge’s importance to the team should never be overlooked.
He was always a willing runner, stretching the play so his teammates could pick up the ball between the lines. Next to that, his electric pace and clinical nature made him an unstoppable player on the counter-attack and enabled him to grab 21 goals in 29 Premier League appearances that season.
So his first 18 months at Anfield were spectacular as the stats show – 49 games, 35 goals, 14 assists – but then injury problems started to emerge. For a long period in the 2014/15 season, Sturridge was out on the sidelines and Liverpool really suffered.
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He came back but soon got injured again and it led Brendan Rodgers, and later on Jürgen Klopp, to sign other strikers as they could never really count on Sturridge due to his poor injury record. The quality was clearly still there but averaging around 12 to 15 league games a season for the last three-and-a-half seasons has been the problem.
Now, at 28-years-of-age, Sturridge is logically speaking in his prime years. His injury problems have relented a little this season and for West Brom, who are fighting against relegation, the No9 role is be vital. Sturridge has the next few months to convince England manager Gareth Southgate that he belongs in the World Cup squad.
And to be perfectly honest, a fit and firing Daniel Sturridge is still one of England’s best strikers – probably the best after Harry Kane. Sturridge is a match-winner and a quality all-round attacking player. As a football fan, you wish to see his career come to life again as Sturridge is one of the most sensational footballers in the Premier League to watch in full flow.
Whether his injury struggles will come knocking again, we’ll have to wait to see. This, however, is a move that could be perfect for all parties involved.
