Biggest stage is beckoning for Sturridge
Our correspondent on the Manchester City starlet with an impeccable pedigreeAlyson Rudd
Daniel Sturridge will be a superstar. In so far as anyone can ever know if a player will make it, Sturridge will. If you had jar that could be filled with all the ingredients required to ensure football success, then Sturridge’s jar would be almost full. The 17-year-old striker is part of a football dynasty, the fans at Manchester City adore him, he has been signed by a leading sponsor, he is ambitious, his family are tightly knit and incredibly supportive and Barcelona are rumoured to be interested.
What could possibly go wrong? Sturridge – one of the youngest players to feature in the Premiership this season – knows what can go wrong and that in itself is another factor to add to the magic mixture. After all, he is at the same club as Joey Barton and if ever there was an example of how to risk a career, Barton is it. “Joey is Joey. He’s not a bad guy,” Sturridge said. But he knows the pitfalls. “You see players with ability but no focus and they don’t make it. The dangers are nightlife, alcohol and women. It sounds bad to be saying it, but women can change someone’s career. My family have told me about this.”
Sturridge’s family know what they are talking about. Michael, his father, was a reserve team player for Birmingham City. His uncle, Simon, was a striker for Shrewsbury Town and Stoke City and Dean, also an uncle, is the former Derby County and Wolverhampton Wanderers forward.
“I see myself in him,” Dean said, “but they all say, ‘bloody hell he’s much better than you.’ He’s taller than me and in terms of ability he has much more than I had. I would say he’s one of the best players in the world for his age in his position, but now it’s a man’s world and he’s got to turn that potential into reality.”
Perhaps the best indicator of whether Sturridge can do that is the unsentimental world of sponsorship. He has been signed up by EA Sports and will be part of a photo-shoot alongside Ronaldinho at the end of May. It is an appropriate sponsorship deal; as Sturridge says, he plays computer games and watches DVDs to avoid the perils of a night out with the lads.
He came off the bench twice this season – against Wigan Athletic and Reading – and on both occasions it seemed that fan power might have influenced Stuart Pearce. City supporters were impressed with Sturridge in the club’s run to the Youth Cup final last season and relieved that he had opted to sign professional forms with City despite interest from other clubs, including Chelsea.
“It felt strange,” he said. “I had never really heard anyone singing my name before. I was quite surprised to be on the bench, never mind having the fans singing for me to get on. So I was shocked.” And when he made it on to the pitch, Sturridge discovered “it’s a lot faster and the players are more experienced. You’ve got to be stronger and think about what you are going to do before you get the ball”.
He was not overawed, though. After all, this is a youngster who models his talent on tapes he watches of Pel頡nd Maradona and who believes he can make a similar impact to Lionel Messi at Barcelona. It was Sturridge’s two goals against Holland for England Under-18s in March that alerted Frank Rijkaard, the Barcelona manager, to his potential.
“I’m a typical No 10 with flair, dribbling ability and pace,” Sturridge said. “Age doesn’t matter to me; it’s not about my age, it’s about my abilities. I think I am ready for first-team action. Playing two games in the Premiership is a big thing for a 17-year-old, but I’d like to say it’s not good enough for me.”
Football runs through the Sturridge blood and Daniel was 7 when his father realised he could be great player. “At 7, his dribbling and his first touch was natural. I didn’t instil that I him. And his decision-making was natural. He knew when to dribble and when to pass. He has a football brain. He was playing beyond his years and he was left-footed.”
Michael is understandably concerned that his son is given more first-team action. He played 40 times for Birmingham reserves 22 years ago without once making a first-team appearance. “Players can play 50 reserve matches and then fade out of the game,” he said. “Danny has a lot to offer and you can’t see that until he is in the first-team environment.”
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