Is Daniel Sturridge’s Liverpool career finally coming to an end?

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Three years ago, Daniel Sturridge’s career was flying at heights some thought he’d never achieve. After multiple seasons of indifference with Manchester City and Chelsea – and his best goalscoring spell on loan at Bolton Wanderers – he had a hand on the wheel as Luis Suarez drove Liverpool to their best title challenge since 1990.

Today, however, he’s a shadow of his former self. A man cast aside, at the bottom of the pecking order in a selection of fairly average strikers for Liverpool. Klopp’s ideal front three – Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho – doesn’t include a single out and out striker, and Liverpool’s £12 million man regularly misses out whether he’s fit or not.

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The chance for Sturridge to finally stake his claim to be a starter in Jurgen Klopp’s side came in the 58th minute in Liverpool’s EFL Cup second-leg tie with Southampton. With the Reds trailing by a single goal on aggregate, the ball ricocheted off substitute Shane long – the eventual match winner – and fell to the ever-prolific Sturridge on his preferred left foot, six yards from goal.

Three years ago, Sturridge buries the ball into the back of the Southampton net, and it’s game on. So what has changed?

Under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers, the English forward bagged 21 goals in 29 league games, as an integral cog in a high-pressing system topped by the trident of himself, Luis Suarez, and Raheem Sterling. In terms of his partners, they’re certainly not incomparable with the Coutinho-Mane combination he would be playing between now.

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Despite Klopp’s refusal to refute Sturridge’s ability, there is something different about the way he conducts himself when he talks about the striker. While he was happy to put a timeframe on Coutinho’s return from injury, he adamantly remained vague when discussing Daniel’s return.

Both Klopp and Rodgers defended Sturridge to the hilt. However, Klopp’s refusal to put public faith in Sturridge leaves the Liverpool striker in a worrying situation. He was first choice against Plymouth in the FA Cup, alongside fringe and youth players, but once again ignored for Divock Origi when Klopp turned to the bench against Chelsea. Former players claim the German manager would be happy for him to leave and West Ham are reportedly monitoring his situation, there is no doubt that it is officially make or break time for Sturridge at Liverpool.

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Sturridge’s most ardent supporter, Brendan Rodgers, said of his move to Liverpool in 2013: “He recognises this might be his chance at a big club and he has to produce.” That chance, much like the one six yards from Fraiser Forster’s net, looks to have gone begging.

Featured image: All rights reserved by Mijss and Sir Thao and Phuc.