Daniel Sturridge has responded to claims that he’s selfish and doesn’t put the needs of the team before his own.
When you sign a player like Sturridge, who comes with brilliant talent, there is always some form of baggage that needs to be dealt with and this comes in the form of the Englishman’s so-called attitude issues.
Sturridge arrived at Liverpool with the tag of being an injury-prone forward who was far too arrogant for the level of quality that he possesses. In his first season and with Liverpool, the former Chelsea striker scored 35 goals in his first 49 games. His performances in the 2013/14 season quickly elevated hm into a bracket where he was referred to alongside forwards like Sergio Aguero and Luis Suarez.
There have been many questioning the mentality that Sturridge has this season with it often appearing as though he’s sulking on the bench, but if you ask me, can you blame him? He has finally achieved full fitness and yet he’s sitting on the bench, week-in-week-out.
Sturridge has now addressed the comments surrounding his mindset and the label of being ‘lazy’ and not one to appreciate the greater need of the team.
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“I feel that I contribute to the team. I assist, I score goals,” Sturridge explained, via the Mirror.
“It doesn’t matter what people say about me. It’s unfair. It’s unfair. I’m not worried about what other people say about me.”
At the end of the day, if Sturridge is sulking it’s not because he’s against the team dynamic Klopp is working on, it’s because he definitely possesses the quality to play under Jurgen Klopp.
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What Sturridge needs to do is become more effective at pressing the backline to break into the team. There is no denying that Sturridge is the best finisher at Liverpool and if he brought the athleticism to the side that Divock Origi does, then it would be incredibly hard to discount him.
The clustered festive period is nearly upon us and Sadio Mane is leaving in January so Sturridge will definitely get a chance to prove his worth in the coming weeks.