Brendan Rodgers, who can’t stay out of the media these days, has shed some light on the Daniel Sturridge situation via an interview with talkSPORT – via the Echo.
As no Liverpool fans need reminding of the injuries which have decimated the past season and a half of the striker’s career.
Since Rodgers left, Sturridge has started just one match, scoring two goals against Southampton – but ambiguous, seemingly never ending problems halt his return to fitness.
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“What’s so frustrating as a manager is he is a genuinely world-class player,” said Rodgers – who managed the striker during the best patch of his career. From January 2013 to summer 2014, Sturridge scored 35 goals and almost helped fire us to a Premier League title.
Since, he’s scored nine goals in more time – making just 17 Premier League appearances – most of them from the bench.
“Nine out of 10 players like that in that situation – you maybe would sell,” Rodgers said.
“In the first couple of years when we were building at Liverpool, that quartet of him, Luis, Raheem and Coutinho was incredible. They were unplayable. He’s a player that makes a difference. When you have that type of player you want to do everything you can for them.
“In the last couple of years, it’s been one thing after another for injuries. He’s a really good guy, he’s a great fella, he wants to play but it’s just difficult for him to get that run of games, or run of training.”
We can’t argue with Rodgers’ assessment of Sturridge’s ability, we just wish the forward would show it to Jurgen Klopp as well.
The German’s crying out for goals and movement at the top of his team, and Sturridge has both in bundles.
Christian Benteke doesn’t fill the gap and Divock Origi is raw and largely untested, meaning Roberto Firmino’s been used as a false-9. He does a decent job, but he possesses none of the speed and natural finishing of Sturridge.
Then again, not many available via the transfer market do.