Brendan Rodgers Believes Daniel Sturridge Will “Respond” to Competition

As Liverpool inch closer to confirming the signing of striker Mario Balotelli from AC Milan, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has heaped praise on current main man Daniel Sturridge and has that he’ll respond to the competition that the Italian will add to the squad.

“I have spoken to Daniel about how important he is to the team,” the Northern Irishaman said ahead of today’s meeting with Manchester City. “The confidence I have in him has been shown in his performances and goals, and you are not doing that if you are not happy with your life and happy with your football. I have said repeatedly that Daniel is a top talent, but we need to have more than one top talent in here. But he is a big player for us and will remain to be.”

Following the departure of Luis Suarez to Barcelona, the Anfield outfit have been searching for a replacement for the controversial Uruguayan and believe they have found it in the just as divisive Italian. While Sturridge didn’t always see eye to eye with his former strike partner, they enjoyed a very fruitful on-field relationship and Rodgers believes that the 24-year old will continue to blossom with other top players surrounding him.

“The dynamics are important but I don’t worry because if you are a top player with a top mind then you want other top players. A top player with a top mentality responds to the competition” continued the Liverpool boss before going on to re-enforce his need for depth in the squad. “Also, if you look at Daniel’s injury record, he has missed a number of weeks through being injured. I need to ensure I have the replacements if they are not on the pitch at the same time.”