Sturridge was a talking point last year, but now he may regret it a little.
In the more than a year and a half since Football’s Beads launched, only one article has elicited a direct response from the subject – Daniel Sturridge.
On the morning of the 2021 Champions League final, the final will be played against the striker’s two former clubs, Chelsea and Manchester City. So, GOAL published an article wondering if the two-time European Big Ears trophy winner will return to the professional arena.
This is actually a very normal question.
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At that point, Sturridge hadn’t played professional football in over a year, and it looked like he was enjoying himself in America. Go to the gym every day and hang out with the Oscar winner.
However, the England international is adamant that he will return to the professional arena.
In fact, he did the same.
However, a year later, on the morning of the 2022 Champions League final, another team from Sturridge’s old club participated. Is this a successful comeback for the England player? The answer is likely no.
Sturridge’s enthusiasm for a return to the pro game is palpable, having posted multiple videos of him training alone on social media in preparation for his return for the 2021-22 season.
There is news that Sturridge will join the Spanish team, and Real Mallorca has announced that he is training with the team.
However, it was not until October of that year that Sturridge signed a professional contract, and he reached an agreement with the Australian Super League team Perth Glory.
“It’s a great opportunity to take on a new challenge,” Sturridge said at the time.
“When the opportunity comes, grab it, play elsewhere, enjoy football in a competitive league and help the team be as successful as possible.”
The signing once became seismic news in the Australian football circle.
Perth Glorious chairman Tony Saatchi said: “Daniel is without a doubt the greatest player not only in Perth history, but in the entire A-League history.”
“His arrival will mean our determination to succeed for the team, and we will disdain to work hard to achieve it.”
6 appearances, 0 goals, 138 minutes, 1 serious injury, this is what Perth Glory got from Sturridge.
In fact, Sturridge has never played more than 45 minutes in a single game, with the only assist coming in the penultimate round against Western Sydney.
This is the end of Perth’s glorious season, ranking last among 12 teams for the first time, winning 4 of 26 rounds and only getting 18 points.
Not surprisingly, the club’s perception of Sturridge took a major turn before the end of the season.
“It’s disappointing, we signed Sturridge with high expectations and it didn’t work,” team chief executive Tony Pinata said in April.
“From a marketing point of view, the influx of 18,000 spectators in the first game really proved his appeal. But unfortunately, then he was injured.”
“Next year? Wait and see, I don’t think we’ll renew him.”
Of course, Sturridge couldn’t have paid for Perth’s glorious failed season. After all, the team also encountered a series of problems such as restrictions on the new crown epidemic, injuries, and financial constraints. It was difficult to obtain a win in 16 games in more than two months. During this period, Sturridge did not play.
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Sturridge is very active on social media, often posting clips of playing and living in Australia. However, since February 20, Sturridge has not mentioned Perth Glory again. Instead, focus more on Liverpool’s fight for the Premier League title.
Sturridge’s trip to Australia will come to an end this summer, and he will also become a 33-year-old free agent.
So, as we did a year ago, we wanted to ask: will two-time Champions League winner Sturridge return to professional football? Once again the answer is less clear.
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