Daniel Sturridge may have found it tough to establish himself in English football during his formative years, having been stuck at the big-spending superpowers of Manchester City and Chelsea, but he is finally flourishing at Anfield, having bagged 36 goals in his first 52 games for the club. Injuries have blighted his current campaign and he hasnt featured since August, and he is proving to be almost a big a loss to the Liverpool side as former talisman Luis Suarez. It was at Bolton where he first showed Premier League audiences what he could do when given a run of games up front, having been deployed largely on the wing for Chelsea under Andre-Villas Boas and Roberto Di Matteo. He would go on to score eight goals in 12 games for the Trotters, before returning to Stamford Bridge a much more confident and assured performer.
I thought when Didier (Drogba) moved on, I would be next in line but it wasnt the case. In the end I begged chief executive Ron Gourlay to let me join Bolton on loan. At Bolton, Owen Coyle changed my life completely. I was in the first team, playing centre-forward and had a chance to show the world how I could play. I will always be thankful to Owen and Bolton for what they did for me. - Daniel Sturridge, March 2014.
When fit and firing, Sturridge is one of the most fearsome and lethal strikers in the land - as demonstrated by his 24 strikes last season. Not only do Bolton supporters probably wish they had him for longer, but the title-challenging duo of Manchester City and Chelsea fans are probably ruing letting him slip through their fingers as well. So that's a wrap - what do you think? As always, feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
