Andy Gray has slammed Daniel Sturridge as flaky and claimed he is not getting carried away by the Liverpool striker’s opening-day goal against West Ham.
The former England international, 28, came off the bench to put the gloss on a convincing win for the Merseyside giants with a goal with his first touch at Anfield on Sunday.
BeIN Sports pundit and former Everton forward Gray explained why Sturridge has much to prove after a fallow few years.
Gray told beIN SPORTS: “No-one doubts the ability the young lad’s got. I have doubted his desire to put himself out there on the football pitch time and time again.
“It’s a great start for him but I’m not going to go overboard about Daniel Sturridge because too many times he’s let too many people down.
“For Liverpool’s sake I hope he is the new Sturridge. I hope that he has learned, and I hope that he does want to play, the latter part of his career, time and time again.”
OPINION
Is Sturridge uncommitted or merely unlucky? Does his fragile body constantly let him down? Or is he unwilling to play through the pain barrier to make the most of a top-level career that stats site Spotrac claim rewards him with £120,000-a-week. Nice work if you can get it. Sturridge has constantly been found wanting when it comes to one of the basic elements of his job – turning up fit to play. He has been on fire in pre-season, scoring six goals and playing with such vim and vigour that manager Jurgen Klopp was willing to authorise the sale of Danny Ings on a loan that will become permanent next summer. Can Sturridge be a key man this season as Liverpool marshall their resources for a tilt at all the big prizes. Much depends, as usual, on whether he can stay off the treatment table. Since the 2013-14 season, that has proved impossible for extended periods for the striker, whose brilliance has sadly only been witnessed fleetingly.