Daniel Sturridge
Daniel Sturridge's Nifty Fifty
Manchester. January 2013. Liverpool FC are trailing 1-0 at half-time at Old Trafford to Manchester United FC. Manager Brendan Rodgers decides it's time for a change. Off goes Lucas Leiva, on comes Daniel Sturridge to make his Premier League debut for the Reds 11 days after being signed from Chelsea FC. It takes him 11 minutes to find the net.
Steven Gerrard's shot is pushed back out by David de Gea and, quick-as-a-flash, Sturridge is on the scene to tuck the ball home with his left-foot. It's a sweet moment for a former Manchester City FC player who in 2006 had scored twice against Liverpool FC's Under-18's in the FA Youth Cup Final second leg at The Etihad. A week earlier 'Studge' had marked his first start in a red shirt by scoring seven minutes into the Reds' 2-1 FA Cup 3rd round victory at Mansfield Town FC's Field Mill. There was nothing run-of-the-mill about Sturridge.
Six days later and he was an Anfield goalscorer for the first time, prodding the ball home at the far post after Norwich City FC goalkeeper Mark Bunn had been unable to intercept Stewart Downing's volleyed cross. A new goalscorer was in town and it meant Sturridge became the first LFC new boy to score in each of his first three appearances since Ray Kennedy in 1974.
A fortnight on the former Manchester City FC Young Player of the Year was back on the scoresheet at The Etihad, firing home from 25 yards out in an entertaining 2-2 draw and he was on target against his other former club Chelsea FC in April 2013 with a 90th minute equaliser from a clipped Luis Suarez cross. It was the first time the Uruguayan had assisted his new strike partner, but wouldn't be the last.
After scoring his first double for the Reds in a 6-0 hammering of Newcastle United FC at St James' Park Sturridge finished his first half-season as a Liverpool FC player in style by grabbing a hat-trick away to Fulham FC at Craven Cottage, Philippe Coutinho providing two of the assists. He ended the campaign with 10 goals in 14 Premier League games. It was quite an impact, but there was even better to come.
Sturridge hit 21 goals in 29 Premier League appearances in 2013/14 as his partnership with Suarez flourished and the Reds narrowly missed out on winning the Premier League title. Indeed, the opening three games of the season – at home to Stoke City FC, away to Aston Villa FC and at home to Manchester United FC – all finished 1-0 to Liverpool FC courtesy of Sturridge goals. Perhaps his best effort of all, though, came in a 4-1 Anfield win against West Bromwich Albion FC in October.
Suarez stole the headlines with a hat-trick, but in the 77th minute Sturridge sent an impudent chip from outside the Kop-end penalty area over Boaz Myhill and into the net. It was his 18th Premier League goal for LFC and he's arguably never scored a better one at Anfield.
A stoppage time header to secure a 3-3 draw in a crazy Merseyside derby at Goodison Park sparked wild celebrations amongst the travelling Kop that November and two months later he was on target twice in three minutes against Everton FC at Anfield with his second goal – a lob over Tim Howard – the most memorable moment of a thrilling 4-0 win. Daniel's 25th PL goal for LFC, however, will never be forgotten.
Played clean through by Coutinho, Sturridge placed a clinical shot past Wojciech Szczesny to make it Liverpool FC 4 Arsenal FC 0 after just 20 minutes. It was, to many seasoned Liverpudlians, the most explosive, thrilling, exhilarating opening 20 minutes ever witnessed at Anfield. The Reds went on to win 5-1.
Just four days later Liverpool FC won 2-1 at Fulham FC with Sturridge netting the opening goal following a stunning outside-of-the-boot pass by Gerrard that split the Cottagers' defence open. You won't see a finer assist and somewhat appropriately it was the Gerrard-Sturridge combination that provided LFC's final goal of the season at home to Newcastle United FC, Studge knocking the skipper's free-kick home at the far post. On another day – had Manchester City FC lost to West Ham United FC – it would've been a title-clincher.
That 2013/14 campaign remains Sturridge's best for LFC both in terms of appearances and goals with injuries limiting his game-time since although another 19 Premier League goals in 48 games – 25 of those appearances coming as a substitute – have since followed.
He was on target against Manchester United FC again, this time at Anfield, in March 2015 and scored his first Premier League goal under Jürgen Klopp's management on St Valentine's Day 2016 when he headed home the opener in 6-0 victory against Aston Villa FC at Villa Park. Another 4-0 Anfield win against Everton FC followed two months later and Sturridge was on target again, clinically finishing after Lucas teed him up.
In May 2017 Sturridge became Liverpool FC's first ever goalscorer at West Ham United FC's London Stadium in a 4-0 win and that was also the scoreline Arsenal were beaten by at Anfield in August 2017 when Daniel completed the scoring by heading home Mo Salah's cross. His 48th Premier League goal – at home to Huddersfield Town FC in October 2017 – was also the 100th of his club career.
And so to 2018/19 and another 4-0 win against West Ham United FC! Sturridge had only been on the pitch for 24 seconds when he turned a James Milner corner in at the far post and only needed three minutes to make a sensational impact in the dying embers of our trip to Chelsea FC last month.
Receiving a pass from Xherdan Shaqiri 25 yards from goal, Sturridge took a touch before sending a curling, left-footed effort that dipped over Kepa Arrizabalaga – the most expensive goalkeeper in the world – to give Klopp's men a precious 89th minute equaliser. It was a stunning way for Sturridge to net his 50th Premier League goal for Liverpool FC and may yet prove to be the most important he has ever scored...
