OPINION
It’s been a long and winding road for attacker Daniel Sturridge at Liverpool, but if Wednesday’s big win over Watford was any indication, it may soon be coming to an end.
The England international, on a reported £130k-a-week, began this season in his finest form in many years, bagging some crucial goals for the Reds and threatening a career resurgence.
However, he is now yet to score since bagging twice in two games against Chelsea in late September. And his downward spiral was confirmed by manager Jurgen Klopp on Wednesday when the German elected to start Sturridge’s fellow attacker Divock Origi ahead of him against Watford.
That would have been unthinkable just a few short months ago, and it speaks to how far the 29-year-old has fallen since being lauded as a potential key to Liverpool’s potential title victory. Alarm spells will certainly be sounding in the former Chelsea man’s head now.
The Belgian has scored his own vital strike for the Reds this term – December’s Merseyside derby winner over Everton – but, like Sturridge, he failed to capitalise on the momentum he created for himself.
Now, though, he looks to be very much back in Klopp’s good books, and firmly ahead of the Englishman in the attacking pecking order – especially after netting against Javi Gracia’s side.
It’s well-known that Sturridge’s Liverpool contract expires at the end of the season and, after being snubbed for Origi against the Hornets, there seems to be scant chance of the club offering him an extension.
No, his Reds career, glorious as it’s been at times, looks to be dead and buried.
