The announcement that former Liverpool and England striker Daniel Sturridge had signed for Perth Glory was one that generated much excitement not only in Western Australia, but also across the nation amongst followers of the A-League.
Here is a player with a proven pedigree heading to Australia, and aged 32, on the surface should still have plenty to offer the club and the league. The publicity his signing has given the club and the competition has all been positive, and has come at a good time for both.
As usual some sections of the Australian media have gone overboard. Sturridge has been described as “Liverpool Legend,” Yet few Liverpool fans would afford him such celebrated status. Yes, his record at the club was a very good one in partnership with Luis Suarez, and his overall return is impressive, 68 goals in 160 appearances. Yet would Liverpool place him up there with the likes of Dalglish, Fowler, Rush, Neal, Aldridge and Callaghan, to name just some afforded legendary status?
Then we had others claiming that he was the ‘biggest’ or ‘best’ signing that the A-League had witnessed. Of course this is very subjective. The proof will be in his performances for Perth Glory. If he performs well he may be rated up alongside Dwight Yorke, who was still good enough to return to top flight football in Europe. Many will say that Alessandro del Piero was the “biggest” and the “best” followed by Robbie Fowler, but with both of these players, great as they had been, their best was well behind them when they turned up in Australia.
To many the best signings have been, whether you love them or hate them, the likes of Besart Berisha, Thomas Broich, Diego Castro and Adrian Mierzejewski. Yet none of these could be classed as being the “biggest” in terms of name, but they could be in terms of their impact. As stated this is subjective.
The biggest concern for Perth Glory and their fans will be the fact that Sturridge has not played professional football since the end of the 2019/20 season. He was released from his contract in Turkey with Trabzonspor after 11 appearances and scoring 4 goals in a league season that consisted of 34 games. He also played in the Turkish Cup making three appearances and scoring three goals. The club won the competition and played nine games in total. He also played two Europa League games. The team played two qualifying games and six pool games in this competition. Meaning he played less than a third of their matches.
In season 2018/19 after a loan spell with West Bromich Albion Sturridge returned to Liverpool where he made 18 Premier League appearances, one FA Cup and League cup appearance and played in seven Champions League matches. Liverpool played 53 games that season.
He did not play in the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final against Tottenham Hotspur in June 2019, however he had played enough games to pick up his second Champions League winner’s medal. This made him the first Englishman to win the competition with two different English clubs. However three days later he was released by the club.
If that was a blow he was to suffer a bigger blow when on the 18 July 2019, Sturridge was banned from football for six weeks, four of which were suspended, for breaching betting rules when he instructed his brother to bet on a possible move to Sevilla. The move did not eventuate. He ended up in Turkey instead.
The season prior to his return to Liverpool he had started the season at Anfield before being loaned out until the end of the season. In his third game he injured his hamstring, and that limited his playing time to just nine Premier League games with Liverpool and six with West Bromich Albion. He also played five champions league matches for Liverpool that season.
All of this means that Sturridge has only played 63 games of top flight football since the start of the 2017/18 season, a period of four seasons.
Unfortunately the reason for this is he has suffered a bad run of injuries. In December 2017 he picked up an injury that saw him sidelined for 51 days. He came back in the January but then was injured again in February and was out for another 55 days. In his last season in Turkey he was sidelined with a toe injury, a knock, a muscle injury, a calf muscle strain, a thigh muscle rupture, a groin injury and achilles tendon problems.
Not surprisingly after that run of injuries he was let go and many other clubs were hesitant to sign Sturridge. That is why he has been without a club since the end of the 2109/20 season.
His answer to the first question in the Perth Glory’s promo clip is probably a brutally honest answer. The question was ‘what attracted you to Perth Glory?’ The answer was “I think it was just a fantastic opportunity to continue playing football.”
There is no denying Sturridge when fit was an exceptional player. He has been a part of successful teams having won the Champions League twice with Chelsea and Liverpool. He has also won the English Premier League with Chelsea as well as the FA Cup twice with the same club. He won 26 England Caps and scored 8 goals for his country. In terms of achievements he has nothing to prove. Yet one gets the impression that he feels that the playing time taken away from him by injuries has meant that he has been unable to finish his career on a high, or on his terms.
Sturridge could be an inspired signing, if he manages to get back to peak fitness and steer clear of the injuries that have plagued his career.
One feels that the way his game time is managed by coach Richard Garcia will play a crucial part in how successful his time in the A-League is. Will the fixture list play a ket part in which games we see Sturridge play? Will the club be bold enough to keep him in cotton wool if the need arises and not take him on the road?
Time will tell, but let us all hope for the A-League that we witness the rebirth of Daniel Sturridge and he gets to sign off his career on a high.
All White, thanks again as always.
Yes I would hope the Glory did an extensive medical. As you say it would be dreadful if he breaks down once he gets here. Whether he gets that match fitness back… he is going to have to work hard to do that.
The supplychain may well be an issue, but they may have a player they are going to sign up their sleeve.
Another great piece.
I agree with Gary that we should judge him on his performance when he gets here. However one has to ask why no club in Europe, the middle East or even China has come in for him?
I hope that Glory do an extensive medical when he gets here. There would be nothing worse than him breaking down a few games in. Also what is his fitness going to be like with so long out of the game.
I was excited by the name, but worry it may well be another dud signing. I also question who is going to create goalscoring opportunities now Castro has gone.
All good mate. Just seeing the funnier side of things as we’ve had our fair share of disappointments.
Also agree that we need to give Diego a decent send off as he is head and shoulders the best footballer we have ever had grace our colours.
F, I wasn’t saying he shouldn’t play all away games, however the fixture list needs to be looked at.
For example, if they have a game in Newcastle on a Sunday and then a home game on the next Friday, I would keep him at home.
Rather than Brandon driving how about an Uber sponsorship opportunity!
Hmmm, just home games eh? Awfully long way to come for a dozen or so games me thinks.
I’m also not sure having Daniel whiling away the days sitting in his expensive apartment over looking the Swan or standing outside the TAB having a smoke waiting for Race 5 to commence at Ascot every time Glory is away is a sound investment for our deep pocketed, short armed owner. Especially as we commence the season with a home game followed by 5 (FIVE !) away games…
Those $190 shirts arent exactly selling like hotcakes Ash’ !
Can we not put him on a Greyhound or get Brandon Wilson to drive him over East straight after the Adelaide game ?
Thanks for the comment F.
It is a concern that other clubs did not pick him up.
I hear what you say about the A-League being only 26 games, but flying is proven to be bad for injuries, so I would honestly leave him out for an away game if the club had a run of games at home, better that than have him not play for a month. That is just my view.
Looks ever bit Robbie Fowler to Glory V.02
I just don’t know how this will pan out Ash’, as people only look at his time at Liverpool and even then he only had 2 seasons whereby he scored goals in double figures. In fact his record shows that since first turning out for City in the 2006/07 season he has only scored 10 or more goals in just 3 seasons and that’s when he was joined up front by Sterling and Suarez. That’s just 3 seasons out of 13 injured or not.
What concerns me that he was trialling at Mallorca, who are a mid to low end Liga club, and even they chose to not offer him terms and he was there as a free agent and, according to him – fully fit under a former team mates Management (Luis Garcia) no less.
Maybe I’ll be proved wrong, maybe the warmer weather will suit his body but c’mon, resting him in a two bob 26 game A League season ? That gave me a good giggle….
Thank you Gary. I agree, it should come down to how he performs here. I hope that his injury woes are behind him and we see him shine.
Totally agree with your comments re Castro.
Ashley, well written article. Like with all foreign signings past reputations should count for nothing, it is all about performance on the park that matters. We don’t need another William Gallas episode
Perth Glory fans should ensure Diego Castro gets a send-off that he will remember for the rest of his life. He was a fantastic player for the club, possibly our best ever import.