When Daniel Sturridge came off the bench to score against West Ham United on Saturday, the goal came along with a sign of relief that was almost five months in the making. Although he won’t quite be ready to start matches in the immediate future, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is just happy to have the 25-year old back.
“He provides the light. When you add a top-class player like him you can go to another level. When he came on the team looked very, very good. You’ve got a genuine top European talent in Daniel Sturridge” explained the Northern Irishman. “If you get him on to the field everyone knows his pace and that will always frighten teams. When you put him on you see the power he has.”
Liverpool’s new found defensive solidarity coupled with a tactical shift from the Reds boss has seen the Anfield outfit win five of their last seven league outings, but in the two legged League Cup semi-final and the scoreless FA Cup clash with Bolton Wanderers, they looked like a side in desperate need of an established striker. Although Sturridge will be able to provide them with that and even more, Rodgers remained standoffish amid suggestions that the 25-year old should be thrown right back into the thick of things as the clubs chases both a trophy as well as a Champions League spot.
“He’s still a bit of time off starting. You saw when he came on he was still getting used to the surroundings again. It’s just about bedding him back in. He’s going to be a great asset for us off the bench” said the Reds boss. “It takes a bit of time and he’s been out for a long spell so we just want to make sure that he’s ready and fit to start.”
