Centre-forward Daniel Sturridge may not be alongside Anfield greats like Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish, Robbie Fowler or Michael Owen just yet, but in March 2014, the England star became the fastest player to reach 30 league goals for Liverpool since the 19th century, whilst in February this year, his 33 Premiership strikes constituted the third-best return from 50 league appearances throughout the club’s history, only bettered by George Allan and Jack Parkinson who, once again, both represented the Reds in the 1800s.
Indeed, in terms of his goals-to-games ratio, Sturridge could well end up blowing some of his many illustrious predecessors out of the water. That, however, is dependent on how much time he actually spends on the pitch, having revealed yesterday that he’ll spend another stint on the sidelines due to a hip injury – as reported by Mirror Football – which could see him out of action for over a month.
Since the 25 year-old made his Premier League debut for Manchester City in 2007, the 6 foot 2 striker has picked up 31 separate injuries. That may not seem so almighty, considering the time span, but over half have come in the two-and-a-half years since he left Chelsea for Merseyside in January 2013 – as revealed by Empire of the Kop.
Sturridge is a fantastic player – arguably the best finisher of his English generation – but unless he finds a way to prevent these niggling injuries, his goal return and career will slowly grind to a halt. Right now, the Three Lions finisher is flirting with a dangerous line – on one side, his goal record, on the other, his injury record. Which becomes more prevalent over the next few years will ultimately define his career.