10 Players Who Probably Regret Joining Chelsea
4. Daniel Sturridge
One of the main reasons Liverpool supporters arent panicking about Suarezs departure as much as they perhaps should be, is because they know they have one of the most lethal finishers in the country on their books. Since his £12 million transfer from Chelsea 18 months ago, he has made the formerly-perceived costly fee a look like a snip, scoring 31 league goals in his first 43 appearances for the club.
The Kop have been privy to his trademark bendy celebration, that wouldnt have looked out of place in a 1980s discotheque, on a multitude on occasions, as he has put Premier League defences to the sword. However, as we know from Sturridges career trajectory, it hasnt been a smooth path for the England number nine.
He may have played for 75% of last seasons top four contingent in his career, but at City and Chelsea, he was left to stagnate, unable to impose himself on the starting XI. In Manchester, they only had eyes for Robinho, bending over backwards to accommodate the Brazilians every wishes, leaving the potential of the 19 year old Englishman to wane. Having signed for Chelsea, it was the same scenario, with Villas-Boas feeling pressure from the owner to start £50 million man Fernando Torres in the lone striker role, at the expense of the increasingly frustrated Sturridge. Reduced to sporadic appearances in cup competitions, Sturridge spent his Chelsea tenure notching up goal tallies against the likes of Watford and Ipswich Town.
Asked to play on the wing, Sturridge duly obliged, in order to gain any semblance of game-time, but unable to produce his best work from out wide, he never added to his solitary league goal in 2010, before being shipped out on loan to Bolton in 2011.
On his return, Sturridges play improved, notching 11 league goals, with his confidence clearly have improved following the spell at the Reebok Stadium. However, despite a decent comeback, he was once again overlooked this time for the biggest game in the history of the club, the 2012 Champions League final. Left as an unused substitute on the bench, while the likes of Salomon Kalou floundered, one couldnt blame the striker for feeling disheartened, and within 6 months, he was gone.