Everyone seems to have forgotten about Daniel Sturridge. Good. Let them. Let opposition fans sneer at Liverpool’s current collection of strikers, who range from the unfancied to the unproven. Divock Origi is unproven, his career could go either way. Things just haven’t worked out for Rickie Lambert; it’s likely that he’ll leave. There’s doubts over Liverpool’s attacking options, so opposition fans and pundits can have their sneers. It’s fair enough. It’s great how they forget Daniel Sturridge, though.
It’s easy enough to forget just how good Sturridge is, of course. His injury record isn’t great and he hasn’t played regular football since the 2014 World Cup, which is just saddening. His latest operation, whilst a temporary set-back, will hopefully end his long-term woes and next season can see Daniel Sturridge playing football regularly. Sturridge playing regularly naturally equates to Sturridge scoring regularly; it’s just what he does. A brief cameo appearance last season which only seemed to last 40 minutes drew a game clinching goal at home to West Ham and lifted the spirits of everyone at Anfield. Suddenly top 4 seemed possible and it was all to play for. He entered the field as a second half substitute for several more games, making Liverpool an altogether more dangerous prospect against Southampton, and with a goal against Manchester United which would just prove to be too little, too late, and in turn signalled the end of those precious top 4 dreams. The impossible was just that and things at Anfield haven’t looked bright ever since.
He could be back regularly this season, though. Forget last season, all the bad memories from the past. No one wants them. You want past Daniel Sturridge memories? Remember him taking 12 minutes to score on his debut away at Mansfield. Remember him appearing to score in every single game ever. He’s scored every goal, too. Header? Done. Short back pass gifts? Done. Last minute flick on from a free kick to equalise in a derby? Done. Clipping the ball impossibly high over the goalkeeper in a derby? Done. Chipping a goalkeeper who isn’t actually stood out of his six yard box from 20 yards? Done. I wouldn’t be surprised if he leathers home a bicycle next season; we’re all going to town when one of those inventive back-heels he so often tries eventually go in.
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This is why you can’t forget Daniel Sturridge. He doesn’t forget how to perform, despite his body’s insistence on holding him back. He came back on as a substitute away at Stoke 2 years ago, after over a month of no-action. No worries. Forget logic and a lack of match-fitness, Sturridge is bagging an outrageous assist and then juggling the ball on the goal-line before scoring. In short, he’s just really good at football.
However, all his ability, his goal-scoring CV, it still counts. It gets discredited because of his injury history, which is admittedly not great, but then if anything it makes him that much more impressive as a player. Harness a player of that quality for a full season, or even 3 quarters of a season, and you’re automatically in the hunt for top 4; that’s just how it works. If, and it is a big if, this latest operation is the last of Daniel Sturridge’s injury woes, then I’d argue that Liverpool are going to be capable of troubling anyone they play next season. No fear walking into games, because we’ve got England’s best striker playing up front for us, and they don’t. None of them do. This gives us something to hold on to, the hope that we seem him regularly again. Just don’t forget him.
