---
title: "Sturridge Is Dancing His Way To A Legendary Status"
canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/articles/sturridge-is-dancing-his-way-to-a-legendary-status/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Martin Smith"
section: "Articles"
published: "2013-11-01T13:09:44Z"
modified: "2013-11-01T17:15:29Z"
---

# Sturridge Is Dancing His Way To A Legendary Status

When Daniel Sturridge signed for Liverpool, it’s fair to say that the jury was out on him as a player and there were questions as to whether he was the right man to fire the Reds into the Premier League’s top 4. Having scored 6 goals in 32 games at Manchester City and 24 goals in 96 games at Chelsea, you can certainly see why there were question marks over his head. Less than a year on from his move to Anfield, Sturridge has quashed those doubts and has his eyes firmly set on establishing himself as one of the best strikers in World football.

Sturridge was a bright prospect at Manchester City. Holding main attributes of pace and power, he was just sixteen years old when he helped Manchester City to the 2006 Youth Cup Final, scoring four goals on route to a final defeat – ironically to Liverpool. He never quite made the grade at City, and despite winning the clubs’ Young Player of the Season award for 08/09, he left when his contract expired. The influx of cash into City probably had something to do with it, the likes of Adebayor, Santa Cruz and Tevez all joined the Summer that Sturridge left.

A move to Chelsea, on paper, should’ve been a good one but the revolving door of managers hindered his progress at the club. Ancelotti, Villas-Boas, Di Matteo and Benitez all managed Sturridge at Chelsea in three and a half seasons. He was played on the left, right and up top but, understandably, he struggled for consistency. A strike rate of a goal every 4 games is sub-par for a player at Chelsea, who should be challenging for trophies on several fronts.

The only positive from Sturridge’s stint at Chelsea was actually his loan move to Bolton Wanderers. 12 games played and 8 goals. The difference? Sturridge was leading the attack for Bolton – he wasn’t playing as a winger.

When Liverpool were linked with Sturridge, and during the days before and after he signed for the club, the phone-ins were red hot with callers. Many were positive, some were negative – one caller rang Radio City after a home match and told John Aldridge that Sturridge wouldn’t score more than fifteen goals in the 13/14 season. Aldridge was adamant that Sturridge would be a success – and he has been proved correct.

Heading into the game with Arsenal tomorrow, Sturridge has scored 21 goals in 27 games. His stats this season, 12 appearances and 11 goals, are enough to rival any striker in world football. Remarkably, the only games he hasn’t scored in this season are the two games in which Liverpool haven’t scored as a team, which shows that when Liverpool score, Sturridge is more often than not going to get his name on the scoresheet as well. In the 17 games he has scored in, Liverpool have gone on to win 12 games, losing just once, so clearly, his goals are proving vital to Liverpool’s form. His record of 1 goal every 4 shots must also be up there as one of the best in the league.

More so, Liverpool have won 44 points when Sturridge has featured, which works out at 1.91 points a game. To put that into context, Gareth Bale featured 33 times for Spurs last season and they won 65 points in the games he played, which works out at 1.96 points. In his 27 games for the Reds, Sturridge has averaged an assist every 5 games (compared to 6 assists in 55 games for Chelsea since the start of the 11/12 season). If he can maintain his form throughout the rest of the season, Sturridge will be very close to topping the combined assists/goals table.

Another thing that impresses most about Sturridge is his desire to improve his game time and time again. He’s technically strong, he can read a game very well – as proved with his goal against WBA last week – and he’s adaptable to the players around him, linking up well with the likes of Suarez and Coutinho during his time at Liverpool.

He’s a down to earth lad, appreciative of the opportunities that have been presented to him at Liverpool, probably understanding of the fact that this could’ve been his last chance playing for a top eight club. He is constantly soaking up the Anfield atmosphere, applauding the crowd whilst lapping the pitch at the final whistle, throwing his shirt into the Kop for one lucky fan. He continues his charity work throughout the season, supporting his own charity foundation that he set up earlier this year.  He remains humble, with his feet on the ground, not taking the game too seriously, always happy to pose for pictures, sign autographs and even dance with fans outside Anfield.

For many outside of Liverpool, there are still questions about Sturridge so early into the season. Can he maintain this form? What would happen to the “SAS” partnership if Suarez was to leave? For those inside Liverpool however, they are questions that don’t require much of an answer. Sturridge will be a success at Anfield and is well on his way to becoming an icon on the Kop. Whether he is scoring goals on the pitch or dancing off it, Reds fans have already been thoroughly impressed by his performances since signing in January – let’s hope he can maintain that form over the coming months and cement Liverpool’s place in the top 4 come May.