Daniel Sturridge's England Form Could Be the Catalyst for a Career Revival

Ryan Giggs reflected common opinion of Daniel Sturridge when he was asked for his view of the striker. The Welshman, who played alongside the Liverpool forward as part of Team GB at the 2012 Olympics, highlighted to ITV (h/t the Sun) his exceptional touch, pace and awareness, all the things needed to make it to the top.

And yet Giggs condemned Sturridge. He lacks one crucial element “to be a top player,” as the winger-turned-pundit sees it: “decision-making.”

It’s a viewpoint held across the game; for all that Sturridge undoubtedly possesses the physical and technical attributes to be one of the best strikers, he is either too selfish or lacks the concentration to consistently make the correct decision in the final third. 

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“I don’t worry about that,” Sturridge responded when asked about this view of him after a scoring performance in Friday’s 3-0 win over Scotland, per the Press Association (h/t the Guardian). “It’s an unfair opinion. I feel that I contribute to the team with assists and goals. It doesn’t really matter what people say to me.”

Of course, strikers are selfish by nature—you wouldn't want them to be any other way. They are the focal point at the head of the team, and so everything is geared towards ensuring that they succeed. The best strikers are selfish. Whether they have their own individual motivations or not (looking at you, Cristiano Ronaldo), when they succeed, so does the team as a whole. That is the paradigm.

And so it’s somewhat unfair to criticise Sturridge on this basis. This season has been a struggle for him, with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp using him as a secondary striker or a wide option, but he showcased just how effective he can be as a No. 9 against Scotland.

Sturridge is a confidence player, and England interim manager Gareth Southgate appears to have given him that.

In a game of few chances, Sturridge dispelled another stereotype held of him by taking his one opening when it came to him, flicking home a diving header from a Kyle Walker cross.

It was the finish of a player coming up big for his team. It was the finish of a player comfortable in the faith his manager has placed in him.

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Perhaps that’s the difference. Klopp clearly has an issue with Sturridge—not a personal issue, but a problem with his style and character as a player. The German has forged a side in the mould of his own identity at Liverpool, and unfortunately for Sturridge, he isn’t a part of that. But while the German has shunned the striker, Southgate has put an arm around him.

Per Sky Sports, the interim England boss explained ahead of Tuesday’s friendly clash against Spain:

"

He’s a goalscorer, first and foremost. I think his mentality to working with us has been excellent. Every striker has a slightly different way of playing and different skill sets that they bring to the party. He has some brilliant footwork and some great receiving skills, and he likes to drop into different areas of the field.

One of the things I wanted to highlight to him was where he gets his goals from which is where he got the goal for us the other night. His goalscoring record for club and country is phenomenally high. For me he works for the team. I think all goalscorers are slightly individual in what they do, that’s the nature of the forward. But I don’t see any more of that in Daniel than any of our other forwards.

"

Both effectively and symbolically, Sturridge is an important player for England and Southgate. The interim boss is likely to be handed the job on a permanent basis after Tuesday’s friendly against Spain, but even still, he must point to what he has already succeeded in over his four matches in charge. 

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Sturridge is the best manifestation of that success and progression. He goes against the grain that states—not without reason—that England’s top players play better for their clubs than they do for the national team. That is not the case when it comes to the Liverpool man.

In fact, it could be that Sturridge uses his form for the national team as a catalyst to revive his club career, which has undeniably slumped since Klopp arrived at Anfield. It might be that he has to seek a move away from Merseyside, but by playing so well for England, Sturridge has shown himself to be far from a spent force.

At 27, he still has his best years ahead of him. It should also be taken into account how injuries have hindered his development over the years, meaning that despite his age he isn’t as mature as he perhaps should be. Almost as the antithesis of someone like Wayne Rooney, that could come later in his career and sustain him well beyond his 30th birthday. 

Sturridge may well lose his starting place when Harry Kane eventually returns from injury, but with every game he plays in the Tottenham Hotspur striker’s absence, the Liverpool forward aligns himself with the style and identity Southgate is gradually imposing on England.

By the time Kane is back, he might find a team that doesn’t suit him any longer, instead playing to the strengths of Sturridge.

There is no shortage of highlight-reel moments to underline the quality Sturridge possesses. His goal in last season’s UEFA Europa League final was one of the greatest moments of technical ability produced by an English player on the big stage for years. He mustn’t be written off as another English talent failing to deliver on his promise. Sturridge is more than that—much more.

He has lost his way, but his England form suggests it won’t take much for him to find it again. Sturridge has his flaws, even if criticism of his supposed selfishness is largely undue, but he is setting an important precedent for the national team. England need a few more like him.