Daniel Sturridge's Liverpool Future and Role Commented on by Ian Rush

Liverpool legend Ian Rush believes Daniel Sturridge has a key role to play in helping the Reds finish in the top four of the Premier League in 2016-17 as he is "probably the most gifted striker" at the club.

The Reds' all-time leading scorer is also hopeful the England international will still be at Anfield next term. Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane have been manager Jurgen Klopp's preferred front line this season, with Sturridge restricted to just five Premier League starts.

However, Liverpool's form has dipped of late, particularly in attack, and Rush believes Sturridge, 27, still has a part to play, per Carl Markham in the Liverpool Echo:

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Daniel Sturridge is probably the most gifted striker we have got. I was made up that he didn't go in January and I hope he is still here next year but you have got to fight for your place. I think he will fight for his place. One thing for certain this year is that we will need Daniel Sturridge and once he gets that chance he has to take it. And when he does take it and starts scoring again I think he'll play a major part in Liverpool making the top four.

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Liverpool have won just once in their last 10 matches, a slump that has seen them dumped out of the FA Cup and EFL Cup and drop to fifth in the Premier League table.

Coutinho and Firmino have both dipped in form significantly, while Mane has only recently returned from the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations:

An in-form Sturridge could be useful to Klopp at the moment, but the former Chelsea man has been plagued for some time by injury concerns and a lack of sharpness.

In 14 English top-flight appearances this term, he has netted just twice, and he has scored 12 times in total in the Premier League across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, per WhoScored.com.

The best season of Sturridge's career to date was back in 2013-14; Liverpool were edged into second place by Manchester City, and Luis Suarez and Sturridge were irresistible in attack—the former netted 31 goals to the latter's 21.

A return to that type of form for Sturridge would be a huge boon for Liverpool at the moment, but he needs a run in the side.