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England & Chelsea's next No.9? Why Manchester City could come to regret not holding on to Daniel Sturridge
The in-form star will face his former club on Monday night but things could have turned out very differently for the confident young striker had he stayed in Lancashire
12 Dec 2011 12:03:00
Getty Images
COMMENT
By Greg Stobart
On the final day of last season, Roberto Mancini sought out Daniel Sturridge and asked the young striker why he left Manchester City.
The City manager insists that the 22-year-old, who has been in sensational form for Chelsea, would not have been allowed to leave the club on his watch.
Ahead of the two sides' clash on Monday night, Mancini said: "It was strange because Sturridge was developed in Manchester and someone let him go.
"For sure, he was one of the best young players at City. It was not difficult to see he was a good player. If Sturridge was here today, he'd be in the first team. I've watched him many times and know him well."
The Italian will fear that he will be left cursing the decision of his predecessor should Sturridge inspire Chelsea to victory over his City side when the sides meet at Stamford Bridge.
In the summer of 2009, it was Mark Hughes who decided that Sturridge was expendable and told then chief executive Garry Cook to reject the player's £75,000-a-week wage demands.
The nephew of former Derby striker Dean Sturridge, he had broken into the first-team squad and was considered one of the best talents to emerge within the club for a number of years.
Yet despite Sturridge's encouraging start to his career, there were concerns over his professionalism, with some within the club citing an unjustified arrogance.
With Hughes keen to use Abu Dhabi petro-dollars to sign big-name strikers, the decision was made not to offer Sturridge more than a £50,000 weekly salary. Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz all arrived at the Eithad Stadium that summer at great expense – but none have a future at the club.
Chelsea swooped in and agreed terms for Sturridge to move to Stamford Bridge after his contract expired. As the player was under the age of 24, a fee worth £5.5 million was decided by a tribunal, with City holding a 15 per cent sell-on clause.
Sturridge was undoubtedly looking to take advantage of City's riches with his salary demands, but on Monday the England international will look to show his old club that he would have been worth the hassle.
It has been Sturridge – not Didier Drogba or Fernando Torres – who has led the charge for Chelsea this season. Stationed on the right of a three-man attack, he is playing with freedom and confidence having scored in his last three Premier League outings.
Andre Villas-Boas, the Chelsea manager, admits Sturridge would rather play as a central striker, but the Portuguese coach believes he is better off playing wide, where he can exploit space by using his pace and trickery.
“Daniel knows he is strong in the striker position,” Villas-Boas said earlier this month. “He was strong at Bolton in that position.
"It doesn't mean he cannot play there but we count him as a winger in the squad and we will continue to count him as a winger. We spoke in the beginning about his role and he had no problem.”
Sturridge should have no complaints with the way his career is going, an upward trajectory that is increasingly likely to result in a place on the plane to Euro 2012 with the England squad.
By his own admission, the turning point was his loan move to Bolton on the last day of the January transfer window. Under Owen Coyle, Sturridge came of age, scoring eight goals in 11 games for Bolton.
He returned to Chelsea knowing he could score goals in the top tier, but also understanding the importance of working hard for his team-mates. It was a coming of age for a player who has always carried himself on the pitch with a swagger.
Now, his perceived arrogance is justified. This season, Sturridge has netted eight league goals for Chelsea, taking his tally to 16 goals in 22 appearances since February. Despite playing on the wing, he is outscoring both Drogba and Torres.
Sturridge's final ball could improve but he has all the ingredients required in a modern-day forward. Far more than just pace and goals, Sturridge had the flair and eye for a pass to break down opposition defences in tight games. As he hones his understanding of the game and his decision making, Sturridge will only improve.
City have had few reasons to miss Sturridge this season having dropped just four points from their first 14 games. Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko are all firing for Mancini's side and victory over Chelsea will extend the gap between the two sides to a startling 13 points.
But City have a rich history of bringing players through the academy to become club legends. In Sturridge, they may be left ruing one that got away.
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By Greg Stobart
On the final day of last season, Roberto Mancini sought out Daniel Sturridge and asked the young striker why he left Manchester City.
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The City manager insists that the 22-year-old, who has been in sensational form for Chelsea, would not have been allowed to leave the club on his watch.
Ahead of the two sides' clash on Monday night, Mancini said: "It was strange because Sturridge was developed in Manchester and someone let him go.
"For sure, he was one of the best young players at City. It was not difficult to see he was a good player. If Sturridge was here today, he'd be in the first team. I've watched him many times and know him well."
The Italian will fear that he will be left cursing the decision of his predecessor should Sturridge inspire Chelsea to victory over his City side when the sides meet at Stamford Bridge.
In the summer of 2009, it was Mark Hughes who decided that Sturridge was expendable and told then chief executive Garry Cook to reject the player's £75,000-a-week wage demands.
The nephew of former Derby striker Dean Sturridge, he had broken into the first-team squad and was considered one of the best talents to emerge within the club for a number of years.
Yet despite Sturridge's encouraging start to his career, there were concerns over his professionalism, with some within the club citing an unjustified arrogance.
With Hughes keen to use Abu Dhabi petro-dollars to sign big-name strikers, the decision was made not to offer Sturridge more than a £50,000 weekly salary. Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz all arrived at the Eithad Stadium that summer at great expense – but none have a future at the club.
Chelsea swooped in and agreed terms for Sturridge to move to Stamford Bridge after his contract expired. As the player was under the age of 24, a fee worth £5.5 million was decided by a tribunal, with City holding a 15 per cent sell-on clause.
Sturridge was undoubtedly looking to take advantage of City's riches with his salary demands, but on Monday the England international will look to show his old club that he would have been worth the hassle.
It has been Sturridge – not Didier Drogba or Fernando Torres – who has led the charge for Chelsea this season. Stationed on the right of a three-man attack, he is playing with freedom and confidence having scored in his last three Premier League outings.
Goals galore | The youngster has established himself as a Chelsea star this season
Andre Villas-Boas, the Chelsea manager, admits Sturridge would rather play as a central striker, but the Portuguese coach believes he is better off playing wide, where he can exploit space by using his pace and trickery.
“Daniel knows he is strong in the striker position,” Villas-Boas said earlier this month. “He was strong at Bolton in that position.
"It doesn't mean he cannot play there but we count him as a winger in the squad and we will continue to count him as a winger. We spoke in the beginning about his role and he had no problem.”
Sturridge should have no complaints with the way his career is going, an upward trajectory that is increasingly likely to result in a place on the plane to Euro 2012 with the England squad.
| CHELSEA'S STRIKERS THIS SEASON |
|||
 |
|||
| Player Drogba Sturridge Torres |
Games 12 16 17 |
Goals 5 8 4 |
Goals per game 0.42 0.50 0.23 |
He returned to Chelsea knowing he could score goals in the top tier, but also understanding the importance of working hard for his team-mates. It was a coming of age for a player who has always carried himself on the pitch with a swagger.
Now, his perceived arrogance is justified. This season, Sturridge has netted eight league goals for Chelsea, taking his tally to 16 goals in 22 appearances since February. Despite playing on the wing, he is outscoring both Drogba and Torres.
Sturridge's final ball could improve but he has all the ingredients required in a modern-day forward. Far more than just pace and goals, Sturridge had the flair and eye for a pass to break down opposition defences in tight games. As he hones his understanding of the game and his decision making, Sturridge will only improve.
City have had few reasons to miss Sturridge this season having dropped just four points from their first 14 games. Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko are all firing for Mancini's side and victory over Chelsea will extend the gap between the two sides to a startling 13 points.
But City have a rich history of bringing players through the academy to become club legends. In Sturridge, they may be left ruing one that got away.
Follow Greg Stobart on
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
|
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