England international striker Daniel Sturridge is not guaranteed a place in Liverpool’s starting lineup at the moment.
Former Liverpool and Rangers midfielder Graeme Souness has suggested in The Times that Daniel Sturridge will not fulfil his potential.
Sturridge is on the books of Liverpool at the moment and is rated as one of the better strikers in the Premier League.
The England international, though, has had fitness issues for a while now, and the 27-year-old is not guaranteed a place in the Reds’ starting lineup.
Former Scotland international midfielder Souness has suggested in The Times that the former Chelsea and Manchester City striker is not going to fulfil his potential.
“As we saw with his goal, Sturridge has that quality, but what he does not have, and which all successful teams want, is a work ethic,” Souness wrote in The Times following England’s 3-0 victory over Scotland at the Wembley Stadium in London in a 2018 World Cup qualifier last Friday.
“That explains why two big clubs, Manchester City and Chelsea, have let him go and why he is now not in the starting team at a third big club, Liverpool.
“He signed for all three before his 24th birthday, so there have been some good judges who have doubts about him.
“Sturridge is 27 now and I would suggest he’s not going to fulfil his potential. He either cannot maintain physically, because of his well-documented injuries, or does not want to mentally put in the shift as a team player that Jurgen Klopp demands.
“Liverpool’s manager sees him as substitute, a get-out-of-jail card who comes on with 20 minutes left. You would put him in ahead of Roberto Firmino for quality, there’s no argument, but the Brazilian works harder.”
Sturridge is a very good striker, but he is not perfect and does have weaknesses. It is clear that the England international does not fit into Jurgen Klopp’s style of play at Liverpool.
However, it cannot be ignored that the 27-year-old played a key role in the Reds’ second-placed finish in the Premier League in the 2013-14 season.
Sturridge has yet to score in the Premier League this season and has created three chances in eight league appearances for Liverpool.
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